FAA

No Drone Zone sign

The sky over Washington, DC, is a busy place. Helicopters--police, news, medical, and not infrequently carrying the President himself--cross the greater metropolitan area at all hours. Airliners travel to and from Reagan National Airport, just across the Potomac from the district. Since 2003, the District of Columbia has had a special exclusion zone for aircraft, designed to keep airborne security threats away. In September, the FAA made it clear that this applied to drones, and now, just over a week into a national drone registration drive, the FAA is shutting down drone clubs as far as 30 miles from the Capitol.

Motherboard reports:

The FAA has been worried about the proliferation of drones for several years now, and in September extended a 15-mile no fly zone surrounding Washington, DC’s National Airport to 30 miles. The FAA has cited national security issues and airspace safety as the main reasons for its DC no-fly zone, called a “Special Flight Rules Area,” but many of the sites shut down have existed for years with no safety concerns. It’s unclear if or when the sites will be allowed to reopen.

Many of the clubs exist in huge fields many miles outside the Washington, DC border in suburban Maryland and Virginia. Fourteen of the 36 sites are accredited by the Academy of Model Aircraft, meaning they generally comply with baseline safety guidelines and are not located near airports.

This follows a major drone registration campaign and requirement, launched by the FAA earlier this month. The rules require people to register all drones heavier than half a pound with the agency by February 19th, and threaten $27,500 in civil penalties for non-compliance. The rules were developed in a task force, and came despite strong objections from some model airplane companies and the Academy of Model Aeronautics, a hobbyist association.

For most places in the nation where people want to fly model airplanes, registration means a $5 fee and a little hassle. Near the District, where the FAA can point to national security risks, it looks like all drones will be banned until further notice, despite them having fewer recorded impacts on planes than turtles do.

Love Krittaya via Wikimedia Commons

Men playing computer games in Thailand

For the thousands of teens with internet gaming disorder, the symptoms can look a lot like any other addiction: A lack of control over the time and money spent on gaming, distance from family or friends, neglected schoolwork. And, as with other addictions, patients’ brains may look different too, according to a new study in the journal Addiction Biology. Teens with gaming addictions seem to have stronger connections between several different parts of the brain. And while that’s not necessarily a bad thing for how the brain functions, it may lead to a greater likelihood of concurrent psychiatric disorders.

In the study, the researchers took fMRI scans of the brains of 78 teenage boys diagnosed with Internet gaming disorder, and 73 subjects without the condition. Then they compared the connections between 25 different regions of the brain in the addicted subjects versus the controls.

It turned out that the teens with internet gaming addiction had much stronger connections between several different regions of the brain. Some of these may boost the boys’ cognitive performance. For example, a stronger connection between the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and bilateral insulae may allow the subjects to react more quickly to important events, like an attack in a video game, for example.

“Hyperconnectivity between these brain networks could lead to a more robust ability to direct attention toward targets, and to recognize novel information in the environment,” study author Jeffrey Anderson told PsyPost. “The changes could essentially help someone to think more efficiently.”

But others were troubling to the researchers. A strong connection between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and temporoparietal junction is thought to limit a person’s impulse control and can be found in patients with Down syndrome, schizophrenia, and autism. These sorts of connections may make a person more easily distracted, bolstering previous findings that patients with internet gaming disorder have a higher frequency of other neurological disorders such as ADHD.

The study provides a good jumping off point for future research into the neuroscience of internet gaming addiction. It didn’t include females, so it’s hard to make broad generalizations about the brains of all patients with internet gaming addiction, especially since female gaming addicts also have other mood disorders more often than their male counterparts, as the study authors note. And while the researchers hypothesize that gaming may have strengthened these neural connections over time, it’s also possible that people with those connections were simply drawn to video games.

In future work, the researchers plan to assess how these neural connections affect subjects’ cognitive performance.

LucasFilms

Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

Finn and Rey racing to listen to our podcast

By now you’ve likely read our initial impressions of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. And you probably came back to read our spoiler-filled review of the movie. But have you listened to our podcast on the topic? Carl Franzen and Xavier Harding head back to Jakku against Finn’s wishes to revisit the latest episode in the classic saga Star Wars. As you may likely expect, we will be freely discussing movie details in this podcast. You’ve been warned.

(Movie spoilers ahead)

In the podcast we touch on who Rey’s parents may possibly be, the nuances of Kylo Ren and is The Force Awakens’ similarities to A New Hope as bad as many have made it out to be. Along with who is more of a new Yoda to Rey: Luke Skywalker or Maz Kanata?

Without further adieu, we present the PopSci Star Wars‘Cast! In the words of Finn, "come get it."

If you’re still aching for more Popular Science for your earballs, check out Futuropolis and previous episodes of the PopSci Tech Podcast here.

Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)/CES/Facebook

CES 2016 robot hand promo image

Promotional image for CES 2016

The Earth has just about completed another orbit around the sun, so you know what that means: it's time yet again for CES. The international Consumer Electronics Show, held annually in Las Vegas in January for the past 18 years (and held in various locations before that since it began in New York City in 1967) gathers together tech companies, reporters, advertisers and analysts for one giant sprawling series of events dedicated to showing off thousands of new gadgets. CES 2016 officially runs from Monday, January 4th to Saturday, January 9th.

Aside from transforming Sin City into basically the nerdiest place on Earth for a few days, CES typically offers a mix of cutting-edge tech products that range from exciting and potentially world-changing to completely ridiculous. Sometimes, you see both of these extremes co-existing in the same products. But even in the most fallow of years, CES offers an excellent window at the big new trends in consumer technology that companies hope will be successful in the coming year. Some, like 3D TV or ultrabook laptops, have fallen completely flat. But others, like virtual reality and 4K TV, are steadily making inroads into the real world.

In the case of CES 2016, here's the big tech trends we here at Popular Science are expecting to see at the show.

Virtual reality

via Oculus

For decades, virtual reality has been lauded by scientific researchers and cutting edge technologists. Now, it looks like 2016 will finally be the year that consumers will be able to get their hands on powerful VR headsets.

Experts anticipate that major players in VR like Facebook-owned Oculus and Sony-owned Playstation VR will drum up pre-launch buzz at each of their CES booths by demoing some of the most advanced headsets on the planet.

Last year, companies like Oculus and Razer held VR demonstrations in a limited capacity. Oculus was demonstrating one of its developer kits, Crescent Bay, showing off some of the technological breakthroughs like 3D audio. This year, the attention has shifted to the HTC Vive, a headset developed as a co-production between HTC and Valve.

In December, HTC announced that the HTC Vive would not be released to consumers until April 2016, more than four months after it was originally promised. HTC CEO Cher Wang explained the delay by saying that her team had made “a very, very big technological breakthrough.” Most experts expect the company to discuss the breakthrough at CES 2016.

Augmented reality

YouTube / Screenshot

Minecraft on HoloLens

Microsoft Studio's Sax Persson looks over his virtual Minecraft world at Xbox's E3 event.

Augmented reality promises to change our lives by overlaying digital images onto the real world, blending reality with computer graphics. But there are a number of barriers to making that vision come true. Advance AR headsets require powerful processors, displays, sensors, and input devices. They also need to display information on translucent glass, so that the operator can see digital imaging in addition to seeing the surrounding environment. It’s a lot to get right.

Although we may not see any monumental breakthroughs for consumers, CES 2016 is expected to have previews of the next steps in augmented reality. Brands like Sony, Infinity AR, Matter and Form, Voke VR and more will be displaying their latest headsets and proprietary technology ahead of any major releases.

For most experts, CES 2016 will be an opportunity to take a look at how AR has advanced since the unveiling of Google Glass in 2012: Considerations like the size of a headset, battery life, clarity of display graphics, latency when moving, 3D mapping technology, and more will be scoured over by experts.

There’s a slim chance that we’ll see anything that regular people will be able to get their hands on anytime soon, but for those that are interested in the bleeding-edge of technology, CES 2016 will definitely provide that peak into the future.

Driverless cars and electric cars

What would a glimpse into the future be without autonomous vehicles? Now that 2015 is winding down, driverless cars are set to come onto the scene in a big way in the new year. Most notably, many are looking to Faraday Future for a big unveiling. The secretive startup company's automobiles are expected to be fully-electric and, of course, ship with auto-pilot capabilities. But as for what else they could bring, we’ll have to wait until January 4 at 8pm.

Though don’t count out the car companies you grew up with. Appearances from Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Hyundai, Mercedes, Toyota and more could bring some interesting features to the car industry in their own right. Chevy and Volkswagen are expected to unveil new electric automobiles. And Ford might be looking to unveil its Google-powered self-driving cars. We’ll know for sure once the Consumer Electronics Show officially starts.

Drones

Amazon

Amazon's New Hybrid Drone Takes Flight

Amazon revealed an all-new designed for its fleet of proposed delivery drones in a video posted to YouTube on November 29, 2015. The new Amazon "hybrid" drone can switch between flying like a helicopter and airplane, and has a range of 15 miles, according to the company.

The jury is in: People love drones. In 2014, there were only four exhibitors at CES that were offering drones. This year, there will be 27 different exhibitors, with a massive marketplace taking up a large percentage of the showroom floor.

This year, the novelty of the quadcopter has finally worn off: It’s no longer enough to show people an ultra-powerful quadcopter with a 4K camera or one that can take off from the palm of your hand. It’s been done before, and the thrill is gone.

Now, people want drones to have advanced sensor arrays that monitor the environment, keep them from crashing, remain in legal airspace, and make flying them easier.

One of the drone companies everyone will be watching for is Lily Robotics. In 2015, Lily Robotics revealed its simple tracking drone on Kickstarter. The drone can be thrown up into the air, and it follows a user around using a bluetooth signal. The 2.8 pound Lily drone records video, audio, shoots photographs and can take off in midair—unlike many of the other aerial photography drones that require landing gears or feet. But while the concept videos have been very promising, it remains to be seen how functional Lily will be in practice, and hopefully CES 2016 is where we will find out.

Home automation

Illustration by Diego Patiño

Smart Home

We’ve heard it for years: the home of the future will be powered by intelligent devices that communicate with each other and make life a little easier. The problem is that in the last three years, smart home products have largely failed to live up to the hype. Most come with their own apps and must be strung together with other smart home products using weird application programming interfaces (APIs) or IFTTT recipes. We hope this year will be different.

At CES 2016, almost all of the Tech West hall will be covered by new smarthome gadgets. Products that are compatible with Google’s Nest Learning Thermostat, Apple HomeKit, Wink, and Thread are expected to be bountiful. For the most part, all of these smart home platforms are still fragmented and have very few products that can actually work together in a meaningful way. That could change at CES, where many of the major product makers like Samsung, LG, Sony, Panasonic, even the glass manufacturer Corning, and more will be displaying their latest lineup of home appliances and devices.

Wearables

Xavier Harding

Pebble Time Round Screen Vs Apple Watch

The Apple Watch's can be seen in bright daylight, but the Pebble Time Round shines under these conditions. No smartwatch is more visible in well-lit situations

The year 2015 was a big one for wearables. The release of the Apple Watch, updated Android Wear OS and new versions of the Pebble Watch made their way to our wrists. In 2016, we could see many of the same themes: fitness tracking, notification serving and always-connectedness will likely play a big role in the new year. And, naturally, see a big presence at CES.

Fitness-fiends looking to track progress can look no further. Companies like Misfit, Fitbit, and more will join smaller names like Slendertone, GymWatch, Vert and others. Needless to say there’s no shortage of options when it comes to tracking progress.

Those on the other end of the spectrum will also have ways to keep up with the uphill battle of handling notifications. While we don’t recommend holding your breath that Apple shows off the Watch 2 during CES 2016, you can be sure that smartwatch makers like Motorola and Huawei will have their latest and greatest on display at the show. Whether they reveal new features for those devices—or new devices themselves—remains to be seen.

And we’ll see some interesting new takes on the wearable. Samsung will demo its rink wearable controller. Those with Gear VR will finally be able to use their hands in virtual reality—similar to what we’ve seen from HTC with the Vive or Sony with its Playstation VR efforts slated for 2016. And the company plans to introduce new technologies to bolster its existing wearables. TipTalk, for example, will enable users to touch their ear to receive better audio quality for calls when outdoors.

Most of the wearable tech present at CES in 2016 will take the shape of small gadgets. But those looking to make a statement have no shortage of options either.

You’ve probably done it once or twice—snapped a photo, or sent a quick text, while walking. Chances are, nothing happened. But recently, one incident turned tragic. Thirty-three-year-old Joshua Burwell was likely taking a photo with his cell phone before falling to his death last week at San Diego’s Sunset Cliffs. His death has drawn attention to distracted walking, the increasingly common practice of walking while staring at an electronic device such as a smartphone or tablet, as CBS News reports.

As cell phones have become more popular in recent years, the incidence of injuries related to distracted walking has risen. In 2010, more than 1,500 people were treated in emergency rooms because of distracted walking, according to a 2013 report from Ohio State University. The number has increased six fold between 2005 and 2010. Some tragic cases, like Burwell’s, have resulted in death.

The reason for these injuries is pretty clear: When you’re looking down at a gadget, you’re not looking where you’re going. As a result, you’re much more likely to veer off course. “For pedestrians, this distraction can cause them to trip, cross roads unsafely or walk into motionless objects such as street signs, doors or walls,” according to a report from the National Safety Council, which is including distracted walking on its annual report this year for the first time ever.

Cities and states know this is a problem, and they’re trying to pass laws to keep citizens safe. Several states have tried fining pedestrians for distracted walking, as many have done for distracted driving.

But the laws have proved challenging to enforce. And although many people know that distracted walking is an issue, they’re having trouble quitting the habit. Instead of combatting it, some tech companies have found a way to mitigate it, by creating apps that allow texters to see the ground in front of them while they walk.

Even in light of Burwell’s death, distracted walking likely won’t go away anytime soon. It’s one of several public health issues, including “text neck” and disrupted sleep cycles, that have reached epidemic proportions as a result of popular new technologies.

Luckily, though, distracted walking is relatively easy to mitigate, even if you can’t kick the habit completely. Just look up.

luke siemens/Flickr

Happy teeth are healthy (but not necessarily whiter) teeth

The new year is upon us. That means resolution time. Millions of people will dive into the anxifying world of self-improvement—through diet, exercise and whatnot. One thing that's sure to be flying off drug store shelves: teeth whitening treatments.

Bleaching and scrubbing our pearly whites (so they become pearlier and whiter), has become an $11 billion-plus national obsession. Some of these off-the-shelf products, and even dental office procedures, have downsides. Before you beautify those canines, here are a few things to consider.

How did we get here?

Teeth whitening has been cultural compulsion going back to the Egyptians, who mixed wine vinegar with crushed pumice to polish their smiles. Even worse were the early Romans. (Skip this next part if you're squeamish): They used urine to whiten their teeth; it turns out the ammonia contained in our wastewater excretions acts as a bleach. Good to know. Thankfully, today's treatments are not so unsavory. Consumers have access to dozens of abrasives, bleaches, and lasers that will brighten their smiles without giving them ye olde urine breath.

How many of us shine our grills? In a 2013 U.S. survey, 89 percent of orthodontists said patients had asked them to whiten their teeth. Then there are all the over-the-counter kits that made up an $11 billion dollar market in 2013, a market that is expected to grow another $44 million by 2019.

So how good is this stuff for your teeth?

That depends on the treatment—and your teeth. Genetics, hygiene, and past dental work can all play a part. Whitening, for example, doesn't work on crowns or veneers. There are some potential short term side effects, like tooth sensitivity. And longterm effects are still TBD. But on the whole, dentists say it works as long as you don't get carried away. Keep in mind that everyone's teeth are different, and the effectiveness and side effects will vary person to person.

Scott Ehardt/Wikimedia Commons

Crest MultiCare Whitening toothpaste

Here's how whitening works.

Teeth color with age. The tooth's interior, known as the dentin, yellows, and the enamel (the protective outer layer) thins from a lifetime of brushing. Lifestyle choices, from drinking coffee and red wine to smoking and taking certain medications, such as tetracycline, can further discolor your teeth.

Whitening works in one of two ways. It either removes surface stains from the enamel or it changes the color of the dentin.

Whitening toothpastes use abrasives to scrub away surface stains. Because toothpaste works only on superficial stains, (as opposed to the inner dentin, where most discoloration actually occurs) the visible effect is pretty minimal. It's usually no more than one shade lighter on the 16-point tooth shade scale and lasts as long as you keep it up.

If you do go this route, though, make sure you use an approved toothpaste so you're not causing damage to the enamel. The list of toothpastes approved by the American Dental Association for safety and effectiveness includes six kinds from Colgate, five from Crest, and two from Tom’s of Maine.

To actually change the color of the dentin requires bleaching. This has a more dramatic effect, making teeth three to eight shades whiter. And the color lasts about two or three years.

Matthew Ferguson 57/Wikimedia Commons

What color are your teeth?

The Vita shade guide has 16 different shades.

Generally, bleach-based whiteners contain either hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide (which reacts with water to form hydrogen peroxide). When these chemicals break down, they release oxygen into the enamel on the teeth, which lightens the color.

For professional bleaching, dentists tend to use high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, between 25 and 40 percent. This stuff can burn your gums, so the dentist will cover your gums with a rubber dam to protect them during treatment. This method is sometimes used in combination with a light or laser, though there's no proof that this makes the treatment more effective.

At-home treatments come in the form of trays, gels, and adhesive strips. These methods use lower concentrations of the same chemicals, usually 5 to 15 percent hydrogen peroxide, which makes them safer.

Both methods have proved effective when used as directed.

A third method, popular among the lazy set, is a little weirder. Some people actually use whitening chewing gum and paint-on whitener, but neither seems to work. It can make you feel better about sticking to your New Year's resolution, though. Same goes for DIY treatments such as strawberry and baking soda. They don't seem to work, but they make you feel like you're taking action.

You could, of course, concoct your own at-home whitening elixir, using diluted hydrogen peroxide. But the trick is getting the liquid to stay on your teeth for long enough (30 to 60 minutes) without coming into contact with your gums during that time. This is why the trays and strips are so handy, and so popular.

Okay, what's the downside?

Like everything, moderation is key. People have been known to become so obsessed with their whitening results, that they use the kits far too often. The condition even has a name: bleachorexia, where people bleach over and over, sometimes as often as weekly, in a quest for ever-whiter teeth. (Not so different than tanorexia, though on the other end of the color spectrum.)

Such intense and repeated bleaching can wear down enamel to dangerous levels. Not only can this make teeth more sensitive, but it can expose more of the dentin, which could, ironically, make the teeth appear yellower. As a rule, don't use the whitening treatments more often than recommended by your dentist or the instructions on the box.

For the non-obsessives among us, bleaching and these other treatments have very few lasting side-effects. Studies since the late 1980’s have shown that the short-term effects are mild and short-lived: just the occasional sensitive teeth or irritated gums following treatment. No long-term effects have been found in studies yet, but according to a review paper from 2009, more research is needed to be certain. Especially since most of the studies have been paid for by the companies that produce the whiteners.

Jay Tamboli/Flickr

Whitening some teeth at the mall.

One problem that arises is when people who use over-the-counter treatments don’t first consult a dentist (who will advise you on the health of your teeth and gums and suggest the proper regime); or they don't report when something goes wrong. That also means that side effects are probably underreported in the dental literature.

One other thing to keep in mind. These are cosmetic procedures, so don't confuse white teeth with healthy teeth. You still need to brush and floss (two to three times a day) if you want your teeth to last you a lifetime.

Whatever you do, don’t get your teeth whitened at a mall kiosk, in a spa, or on a cruise ship. Yes, these services exist and seem quite handy. But a number of states have actually passed laws to keep whitening at the dentist's office. Don't leave something as important as oral health in the hands of a mall worker.

Bottom line

• Ask your dentist if you should whiten, even—or maybe especially—before going the over-the-counter route.
• Follow-up if you feel tooth sensitivity to cold or heat, or if your gums get irritated.
• And leave mall workers to peddle scented lotions and R/C helicopters—things that are (arguably) less risky to your health.

USPS/Antonio Alcalá © 2016 USPS

Views Of Our Planets

Pluto is going postal.

The U.S. Postal Service unveiled some of the new stamps we'll see in 2016, and several came from outer space. Or rather, the images that appear on them did.

One series includes the planets of the solar system, shown in a variety of different wavelength spectrums (above). Notably absent from that collection is Pluto, everyone's favorite dwarf planet. But that's ok--Pluto is getting the star treatment with its own stamp as well as one for New Horizons, the spacecraft that visited the icy dwarf planet in July.

Credits: USPS/Antonio Alcalá © 2016 USPS

Pluto—Explored!

This isn't Pluto's first time going postal. However, thanks to New Horizons' July 14 flyby of Pluto, a 1991, 29-cent stamp that says "Pluto: Not yet explored" is no longer relevant.

A moon stamp is another beautiful addition to the collection:

USPS/Greg Breeding under the art direction of William Gicker © 2016 USPS

The Moon

And, oh yeah, and did we mention these gorgeous new Star Trek stamps commemorating the show's 50th anniversary? Yeah, we thought you might like those.

USPS/Heads of State under the art direction of Antonio Alcalá © 2016 USPS

Star Trek stamps

Now the only problem will be trying to decide which one to use. We're gonna need more pen pals.

[Via NASA]

U.S. Air Force

U.S. Air Force Lt. General John W. Raymond

Lt. Gen. Raymond serves as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., as well as Chief of Staff for "formulating policy supporting air, space, cyber, irregular warfare, counter-proliferation, homeland security, and weather operations."

Earth’s orbit is clogged with more dangerous junk than ever, and more countries than ever are launching satellites into it. The U.S. Air Force working to navigate the resulting traffic jam by investing in more of its own smaller satellites, and by working with more private businesses to send them into orbit and keep them there. We spoke recently with Lt. Gen. John W. Raymond, the Air Force’s current Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and the former commander of the 14th Air Force, Space Command, as well as the Joint Functional Command for Space about some of the service’s latest space initiatives.

Popular Science: What does it mean for a private sector entity to be a good partner for the United States?

Lt. Gen. John W. Raymond: That’s a great question. First of all, let me just say, space, historically has been a pretty benign domain. There was not a lot of satellites or pieces or debris that were up there, and that’s not the case today. And it’s become much more contested. So we talk about congested and contested; it’s become much more congested with 23,000 objects that we’re tracking each and every day and probably a half a million objects that are too small for us to track. In the past, with that benign domain, we haven’t really needed the partnerships that we seek today, both with commercial partners and with international partners. It was a benign domain; it really wasn’t an issue.

Today that’s not the case, and we’re actively seeking partnerships, both in the commercial industry, which provides us with a significant amount of capability that we leverage. A good partner for us is one that shares information broadly back and forth, that provides us some capabilities that we can use for surge, to augment the capabilities that we have and that works closely with us.

In terms of space being increasingly contested, who’s contesting it and how’s that taking place?

So there’s not one specific group. Russia and China have been pretty open about talking about their capabilities. You saw, in 2007, China shot down one of their own satellites, with a direct ascent anti-satellite weapon, blew that satellite into about 3,000 pieces, that we continue to track today. So, we’re seeing everything from low-end reversible jamming, to the high-end, very visible kinetic ASAT that was tested in 2007.

And what kind of capabilities are being developed to counter those threats? 
I won’t go into the specifics of what’s being developed, but I will just tell you across the board we’re doing lots of things. We’re working on our training, to make sure that our operators are trained to operate in that environment, we’re increasing our awareness capabilities and our procedures and our partnerships to be able to meet the threats that are developing.

Is this consistent with a strategy of disaggregation?

That’s part of it; a disaggregation strategy is absolutely part of it, so rather than having a big satellite that you’re reliant on, you would have multiple disaggregated satellites that could complicate the targeting calculus, if you will. There’s lots of types of disaggregation. Commercial partnerships is a disaggregation if you will, because it’s not just going over military satellites. Our partnerships with allies provides somewhat of a disaggregation as well, because again, we’re spreading out the satellites we use in different circles.

What are the implications of the expansion of the wide band SATCOM program (a network of satellites used for U.S. military communications)?

One of the things that we’re looking at doing with wide band SATCOM, to get to the partnership piece of this conversation, the Air Foce is looking at: should we contract out the operations of a satellite bus to a commercial company? So, if you think about a satellite, you have a bus and then a payload. The flying of the bus is like driving a car, if you will, and the payload is what actually does the business. So we’re looking at, does it make sense — because a lot of, specifically, with the WGS satellite, a lot of that satellite is commercially based — does it make sense to just let commercial companies operate that and then just let us focus on the payload? I think you’ll see more of that going forward.

Beyond existing budgeted programs, can you tell me about any future space-based initiatives you’re excited about, or maybe any trends?

One of the things I’m excited about is the trend towards smaller satellites. You’re familiar with a term called "cubesats"? They’re satellites that are about ten centimeters, the size of a softball. And they’re modular types of satellites where you can put one cube together, make them two cubes or three cubes. Last year there was about 150 of those launched, give or take, don’t quote me on the exact number. In that neighborhood, about 150 launched over the course of the year. The trends of those projections have that over the next five years going up by thousands.

There’s lots of commercial companies working on that, and that’s something that I think we’ll continue to evaluate, in not only, if you look at, we have to track all those things, so it’s harder to track smaller objects, so we- on that front we’re working hard to keep track of that.

Courtesy Mycroft

Current Model Of Mycroft

Mycroft's creators customized their device to launch a toy drone when it hears the command, “Mycroft, fly a perimeter check!”

Engineers Ryan Sipes and Joshua Montgomery wanted their makerspace in Lawrence, Kansas, to be more intuitive. So they borrowed an artificial intelligence system from other makers and used it to do simple tasks, such as controlling the lights or playing music. Then they realized they could create a better one—and sell it.

After several months, eight versions, and countless 3D-printed prototypes, the team produced a completely open-source device: Mycroft. Users speak commands to the physical interface, which then controls devices like smart locks or speakers, posts to social media, and performs dozens of other tasks. An Arduino board and Raspberry Pi 2 make up the bulk of the hardware, and the team plans to release its code. As developers add their own functions, Sipes hopes the AI will grow smarter over time—just like its prototypes did.

This article was originally published in the December 2015 issue of Popular Science, under the title "The Ultimate DIY AI."

The United States was shocked by Sputnik’s launch on October 4, 1957, but it maybe shouldn’t have been. Just like the United States, the Soviet Union had announced its intention to launch a satellite years earlier under the guise of the International Geophysical Year.

The International Geophysical year was an 18 month period from July 1957 to December 1958 during which international teams of scientists would pool resources to study the Sun during a solar maximum and all related geophysical phenomena. There had been two such international collaborations before. The first International Polar Year between 1881 and 1884 saw some 700 scientists from eleven nations at twenty-seven research stations around the world gather data about the Earth’s poles. Half a century later, a second international cohort braved arctic conditions to establish research stations during what became the Second International Polar Year from 1932 to 1933. But the Second World War disrupted the second polar year, and the gathered research was left untapped until a 1946 Liquidation Commission was formed to tie-up all outstanding issues.

JAXA

Composite image showing solar flares

Around the same time, slowly repairing international relations prompted scientists to revisit the idea of a collaborative research program. In September of 1950, the idea of a third Polar Year coincident with an upcoming solar maximum was well received by a number of international research bodies including the International Astronomical Union, the International Council of Scientific Unions, and the World Meteorological Organization, but consensus was the proposal would be with the focus shifted from polar science to geophysical science. The International Council of Scientific Unions created the Committée Speciale pour l’Année Geophysique Internationale — the Special Committee for the International Geophysical Year — in late 1952 to oversee all elements of the upcoming IGY.

By the time the CSAGI held its first meeting in Brussels midway through 1953, more than 30 nations were behind the IGY. The United States’ own contribution started taking shape in the spring of 1954 as one focused on ground-based research stations complemented by upper atmosphere data gathered using suborbital sounding rockets and rockoons. These high altitude payloads would carry instruments to measure atmospheric pressure, temperature, density, and return data about the strength of magnetic fields and the phenomena behind night and day airglow. These rockets would launch from a variety of locations on predetermined “World Days,” days of notable solar activity so the data returned would yield the most fruitful results possible. But as the scope of the IGY got bigger, sounding rockets were tentatively replaces with larger rockets intended to put scientific satellites into orbit.

Meanwhile, the international nature of the IGY meant support went beyond scientific circles into the political arena. In the United States, the American IGY program was managed by the National Science Foundation meaning President Dwight Eisenhower had to sign off on all elements. The President was keen on the program that stood as a unique and striking example of international partnership. He was also found the prospect of launching an IGY satellite since this would make the first space shot a peaceful, scientific endeavour rather than a political move; that the exploration of space be a peaceful undertaking was paramount for Eisenhower.

National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution

A replica of Sputnik

Once the United States’ committed to an IGY satellite program, the International Council of Scientific Unions urged other participating nations to consider launching satellites as well. The Soviet Union answered the ICSU’s call, and though it wasn't officially a participating nation in the IGY in 1954 it wasn’t barred from taking part providing it freely exchange all of its gathered data.

The American satellite program was formally approved with an announcement from the White House on July 29, 1955; the program would be co-run by the National Science Foundation and the National Academy of Sciences with technical advice coming from the Department of Defense. International interest followed. Unwilling to be outdone, Soviet delegates at the Sixth Congress of the International Astronautical Federation in Copenhagen in August of 1955 their nation's intention to launch a satellite during the IGY as well. Few gave credence to the Soviets’ boastful promises that their satellite would not only launch first but would be far more sophisticated than any American attempt.

I tell the story of the IGY and how it let to the first satellite race, not only between the Soviet Union and the United States but between branches of the US military as well, in my book "Breaking the Chains of Gravity." It's in stores in the UK now and will be released in the US on January 12. You can (pre)order it on Amazon or buy a signed hardcover copy on my website, though my shipping is slower than Amazon’s! Sources: This article was edited from work that appears in my book, Breaking the Chains of Gravity.

cesweb.org

CES

Every year, the biggest technology companies from around the world gather in Las Vegas for a weeklong conference focused on the newest and most innovative technology. The Consumer Electronics Show—better known as CES—hosts more than 3,600 companies focusing on a wide range of topics. Desktop computers, speakers, laptops and common consumer tech is displayed beside more cutting-edge products like virtual reality headset and advanced health sensors. CES 2016 will be used a proving ground for new and innovative technologies.

When Is CES 2016?

The official dates of CES 2016 are January 6-9. But thousands of attendees arrive to have closed-door meetings, negotiations, discussions, friendly drinks and more in the days preceding the official dates. For about a week, the conference will completely take over the Las Vegas Strip and the surrounding area. Attendees of CES mostly meet at the Las Vegas Convention Center, but many make use of the conference rooms and suites at nearby casinos and hotels.

How Do I Attend CES 2016?

The conference is a trade-only show, meaning that the general public is not invited. If you don’t have any business interest the consumer technology industry, it’s unlikely that you’d be allowed to register for the show. If you DO have a business interest in the show, you can register under one of three names: Attendee, Media, Delegation Leader or Exhibitor. Each type of attendee will have different reasons for going and you can get more information from the CES Registration website.

What Can We Expect?

CES 2016 will be a breaking ground of cutting-edge tech: autonomous cars, wearables, sensors, drones, mixed reality and smart appliances. The increasing power of mobiles processors combined with the decreasing costs of sensors is expected expected to launch new products in wearables, motion controller, and heads-up displays. As smartphone sales are slowing down, many will ook to CES 2016 to be the proving ground for many new advancements in technology. You can check out the full breakdown of our expectations here or follow along with our CES 2016 coverage here.

Faraday Future

Faraday Future CES 2016 event

What could the mysterious car company announce at CES 2016?

Faraday Future is set to unveil something big at CES 2016. While few know what will be unveiled at the January 4 press conference at 8pm PST, much is expected from the car company. The two-year-old startup has been criticized for providing very few specifics ahead of its press event. That will likely change after the company's big unveiling at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show.

You can tune in to Faraday Future’s press conference live online here.

The hype surrounding Faraday Future is almost palpable. The 400-employee car company that is expected to go up against high-end brands like Tesla and promises to make drivers change the way they think about cars. A new car made from an all-new company, rather than a legacy manufacturer, is an exciting prospect for any car lover.

Experts expect an all-electric vehicle that can drive far on a single charge. Autonomous driving, similar to Tesla’s autopilot features and work we’ve seen from Google, is also expected to come standard in the Faraday vehicles.

But what we may get at CES 2016 may be less of a product reveal and more the unveiling of an idea. According to the company in a tweet, the Consumer Electronics Show will see a “concept reveal” on January 4. It’s likely that conference attendees will not be driving home in Faraday’s latest.

Some have speculated that Faraday Future is a front for Apple’s efforts in the car space. This speculation isn’t too outlandish, as there’s been talk of an Apple automobile coming soon. We’ll have all the details once 8pm PST on January 4 hits. Stay tuned to PopSci for details as they’re revealed.

Brian Solis / CC BY 2.0

Mark Cuban will attend CES 2016.

To appeal to a wider audience, companies at CES will often bring on spokespeople and celebrities to help sell their products. Some of these paid-for endorsements make sense, others genuinely don't. To help separate the two, we made a convenient list, ranking the celebrities advertised at CES 2016.

1. Shaquille O’Neal

Star of Shaq-Fu for N64 (also former basketball player and current analyst for Turner Sports) Shaq will speak on the panel Tech Investing In Sports, moderated by CNN’s Brooke Baldwin. Let’s hope Aaron Carter doesn’t make a surprise appearance and show him up.

2. Ryan Seacrest

Seacrest, out. Well, he’s actually in for the Entertainment Summit hosted by Variety.

3.Adam Silver

Silver gets the Bronze on our list, for embracing tech as the commissioner of the NBA. He’s made an effort to increase high-resolution streaming of games on mobile devices, and worked the game’s social media presence, even taking meetings with ex-Twitter CEO Dick Costolo and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

4. Penn Jillette

The magician-turned-social-commentator will talk about weight loss and connected home devices. The whole ordeal seems like another famed misdirection from the performer, who can probably thank vegetables more than the Internet of Things.

5. Mark Cuban

After cursing on stage for charity in November, the investor and Dallas Mavericks owner will join Shaq in talking about tech and sports.

6. Nick Cannon

In December, the struggling RadioShack attempted to reinvigorate their business by naming Nick Cannon as their Chief Creative Officer. With those tech bona fides (and actually a history of attending CES), Cannon will talk about digital media and branding.

7. Tony Romo, Michael Phelps, Buster Posey, Cal Ripken Jr., Georges St-Pierre, Deion Sanders, Nastia Liukin, Jake Dalton and Brandon Wynn

Under Armor has gathered the Mt. Olympia of athletes to huck their tech-minded sports gear. We admire their dedication to quantity.

8. iJustine, aka Justine Ezarik

CES brought on the almost-tech minded YouTuber Justine Ezarik to “help the Hollywood community navigate the most influential technology show in the world.”

9. Tony Gonzalez

He played football very well. Why not?

10. Jenny McCarthy

Vocal anti-vaxxer Jenny McCarthy will luckily not be talking about science, but car entertainment systems on behalf of the Chrysler Group. Let’s hope she takes computer viruses more seriously than preventative health measures.

North Rhine-Westphalia State Office of Criminal Investigation

Robot Inspects Suitcase

The best possible distance between a person and a bomb is “as far away as possible.” That’s not a choice bomb squads always get to make, as their very work puts them in harm’s way to protect everyone else. It’s no surprise, then, that bomb disposal is one of the best fields for robots, who can do some of the job a human can, with far less tragic consequences in the event of a failure. To further improve these bomb squad robots, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany have made a sensor for robots that can provide a 3D scan of the interior of a suspicious package.

Here’s how the researchers describe their system:

The system the researchers have developed comprises a multimodal sensor suite consisting of a millimeter wave scanner, a high-resolution digital camera, and a 3D environment monitoring system. The components are contained in a housing and mounted on a robot platform. Bomb disposal engineers remotely control the robot from a safe distance. Its swiveling 3D sensors make a three-dimensional survey of the crime scene, and the digital camera provides high-resolution images for later optical evidence preservation. Meanwhile the millimeter wave sensor scans the source of danger and creates an image of what’s inside. A built-in embedded PC on the robot collects the data and sends it to the investigators, where it will be merged on the computer by means of sensor data fusion.

After the robot scans the package, experts can examine what’s inside, and make a call about whether or not to destroy the suitcase. Having that information is helpful for the actual process of defusing. It also provides a record that experts can then hand off to law enforcement looking to track down bombers.

Presently, if a bomb squad wants to look inside a package, they have to have the robot carry it and place it in a mobile x-ray station, which could risk dislodging some part of the bomb in the process. Scanning the bomb as it sits means experts get the information fast, without jostling the package.

The sensor is scheduled to begin demonstrations this year, with the full sensor suite available for bomb squad robots planned for 2019.

As you may know, I'm a big supporter of giving artists a fair shot at a living wage. After all, I too, would enjoy a living wage from my work. So imagine my dismay when I learned that the MIT Museum is holding a contest, calling on artists to create an image that "show MIT's relationship with its community and the world and provoke questions about MIT's future."

One of the obstacles creatives face in obtaining a living wage is creative contests. Also known as spec work. Nospec.com defines spec work as "any kind of creative work, either partial or completed, submitted by designers to prospective clients before designers secure both their work and equitable fees." Instead of paying somebody for a service, spec work commissions a slew of works and then pays the "winner". If you want to learn more, I drew a comic about it. Creative contests are bad, folks.

The Museum continues, "One image may be selected for inclusion in the exhibition and an award of $500*. Other images may be selected for exhibition elsewhere in the Museum." In other words, the rest of you get exposure, or something. Furthermore, if you read the fine print, you'll find that just by entering the contest you allow the museum to do anything it wants with your work, whether you win or not. You can view the contest page here.

Not only that, if you read the fine print (please do), you'll see that all entrants sign away partial rights to their work—whether they win or not.

There's no shortage of irony in MIT wishing to showcase it's relationship with its community by collectively shortchanging its artists. We all know contests sound fun and seem like a good way to bring everybody together, but what you're asking for is free work. Holding creative contests not only does a disservice to creatives, but also to the organization putting on the contest. Spec work is a cheap, lazy solution to relatively straightforward problem. Find an artist! Pay them! Don't make a hundred artists scramble for the chance to earn a wage. You wouldn't do this for any other profession. Heck, you wouldn't even ask people for a favor in this manner.

So just don't do it.

What Happens When You Ask a Cartoonist For Free Work >>

Thanks to Michele Banks for bringing this to my attention.

Screengrab from Virtual Wembury

Virtual simulation of a seaside village in the UK

It's almost like the real thing

Nature is good for us. Scientists are still working out the technical details, but so far evidence indicates that seeing sunlight, trees, and other green stuff helps your mental health.

Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of forests in space, and that sucks for the future astronauts we'll send to Mars and back. They'll spend about two years cooped up in a spacecraft with no option to stroll through a meadow or feel the sunshine on their skin, and that could wear on their psychological states.

Former astronaut Jay Buckey wants to see if virtual reality can help. The Dartmouth physician and his team have sent Oculus Rift headsets deep into the Arctic to test whether exposure to nature through virtual reality can help improve mood and stress levels.

When it comes to deep space exploration, "The more tools you can give people to maintain a good psychological state, the more successful the mission is likely to be," Buckey tells Popular Science.

"The more tools you can give people to maintain a good psychological state, the more successful the mission is likely to be."

His team has sent the virtual reality headsets to a military station in Alert, Canada. Located 500 miles from the North Pole, Canadian Forces Station Alert is the northernmost permanently inhabited place in the world.

"People who live in this Alert station, they do well but it's dark all the time and it's very cold outside," says Buckey. "So it's a small group of people living in a confined space all the time. It's not like you can go out for a walk in the woods."

With the arrival of the Oculus Rift headsets, the Alert inhabitants will have the option to explore two categories of virtual scenarios. The first category includes a 360-degree view of a filmed environment--for example a spot on a beach, or a view of the mountains of New Hampshire or the Irish countryside. The views are photographical, so they look highly realistic, but viewers can only see the environment from one spot.

By contrast, viewers can actually move through the second scenario, "Virtual Wembury." This is a simulation of a lovely seaside town in the UK, and though it's computer-generated, users can navigate through it and explore. Take a tour here:

Buckey's team is interested in seeing which type of environment users prefer, and how that affects the user's mood and stress. The experiment will last until March.

If the tech works, the team hopes to eventually test these virtual green spaces on the International Space Station as well.

But you don't have to be an astronaut to appreciate the potential benefits of virtual greenery, if they exist. Virtual Wembury is part of an ongoing experiment to see if virtual scenes of nature can help facilitate recovery patients in a UK Intensive Care Unit.

Buckey suggests the simulations could also provide useful to the elderly or people who are limited in mobility…and maybe even for the rest of us who can't seem to get away from the computer long enough to step into nature.

facebook.com/ces

CES

More than 3,600 technology companies will gather in Las Vegas for the 48th annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) from Jan 6-9. The conference is used as a platform for launching new products and demonstrating unreleased devices.

The Consumer Electronics Show—better known as CES—consistently gathers the most influential technology companies from around the world. Sure, American brands like Google and Apple and Microsoft have almost no presence at the show, opting instead to host their own special developer conferences. But none of that really matters to the people that attend CES. The convention still manages to gather thousands of people who are all searching for the next big technological breakthrough.

Multi-billion dollar companies (and the people that run them) mingle beside analysts, journalists, investors, researchers and other people who spend their entire year trying to figure out what the future will look like. Not every product is a success—but that’s kind of the point. The conference plays out like a scavenger hunt, with each individual scouring the city for tiny insights. At the end, everyone leaves having a better sense of where technology is going and how fast it will get there.

That’s not to say that CES hasn’t had it’s fair share of failures. Products like netbooks, 3D TVs, and new Android tablets have been marched out in front of eager crowds by the dozens—and never went anywhere. But for every failures, there is a tremendous success that changes our world: videocassette recorders (VCR), Microsoft Xbox, and CD Player have all started their successful runs at CES.

facebook.com/oculusvr

Oculus VR

This year, I’m betting big on virtual reality. I've seen the VR industry mature at conventions around the world over the last three years: new features, headsets, and games keep popping up by the dozens. Now, it's finally coming to a boiling point. Before CES 2016 has even started Oculus it will begin taking pre-orders to the first high-end VR headset, Oculus Rift, starting January 6. And that's just one of the 3,600 companies that attend the convention. We also predicated that HTC will make its own big announcement. And there will be new drones. And TVs. And Speakers. And robots. And everything else that will shape the near-future. I can't wait.

Xavier Harding

Playstation VR at CES 2016

Sony may reveal more details regarding Playstation VR at CES 2016

The Sony Playstation VR release date remains unknown amongst PS4 nation. But that may change at CES 2016 in Las Vegas. We tried Playstation VR back at PSX in San Francisco and the company held the launch date of their virtual reality solution very close to the chest. "The first half of 2016" was all the console-maker would let us know. Though a glimmer of hope has appeared at the Consumer Electronics Show--a banner including the headset for none other than Playstation VR.

For those that may have missed it, the PS VR headset can be found in the blue portion of the banner towards the left.

CES has yet to kick off, but hints have started to drop via banners and booths located at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Now that we've reached the new year, "first half of 2016" means fewer days we'll have to wait for Playstation VR. We could even see the announcement of a release date come in the company's unveiling tomorrow. While fans already received a Final Fantasy VII remake and other goodies from Playstation Experience last month, perhaps Sony has one or two reveals for gamers still to come.

Sony's press conference will take place Tuesday at 5pm PST (8pm EST). Stay tuned to PopSci as we'll be bringing you details on Playstation VR as it's revealed.

Popular Science

Intel Curie BMX bike demo at CES 2016

Under construction ahead of CES 2016.

For the past year, computer chip company Intel has been using BMX stunt bikes to demonstrate "Curie," a new, ultra small computer that detects and analyzes motion. The company first showed off the tech at last year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas (CES 2015), and it looks as if Intel will be repeating that demo again at CES 2016.

Earlier this afternoon, the Popular Science crew at CES spotted Intel's technicians assembling a series of half-pipes outside the Las Vegas Convention Center ahead of CES 2016, which officially kicks off tonight (although the convention center doesn't open to press until tomorrow, Tuesday, January 5).

The technicians said that Intel would be showing off motion-sensing microchips inside the BMX bikes all week, but declined to provide any further details. An Intel spokesperson confirmed to us that Curie would be making a return to CES in the form of BMX bikes.

As for what exactly Curie does, Intel says on its website that the computer is "a complete low-power solution designed for companies interested in developing wearable devices as well as consumer and industrial edge products," and is "ideal for 'always-on' applications such as social media, sports, and fitness activities."

Basically, Intel hopes that Curie will become an integral part of apparel and sports equipment in the near future — "Intel Inside" for your athletic gear. Imagine if your athletic shoes could automatically sync with a phone app to show you data on your workouts, all without you having to wear any additional fitness trackers. That could be a possibility with the relatively small Curie chip, which measures just 0.7 inches in diameter (20 millimeters).

Popular Science

Intel halfpipe

Under construction ahead of CES 2016.

In order to make this vision of the future a reality, Intel announced a new software development platform for Curie in August, which would allow programmers and software engineers from other companies to more easily build apps around Curie. Intel will likely talk more about that software offering at CES 2016. In between some sick backflips, of course.