Lugh

joined 2 years ago
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If you thought the idea of a 100% human-free Ship-Store logistics network was some far-off sci-fi future, think again. It's almost here.

Several ports around the world are almost fully automated with minimal human intervention. Shanghai, Busan (South Korea), and Rotterdam in particular. Fully self-driving trucks that can do highway journeys are a thing too. Now robots have mastered unloading the trucks. Warehouse operations are moving closer to being human-free too.

What's left for humans? Self-driving is still at Level 4, and Level 5 is some way off. That means robo-vehicles can master predetermined routes they are trained on. But more and more they will get trained on highway exit-warehouse and highway exit-store routes. Even with just Level 4 driving this could be almost fully automated.

This all brings closer the day topics like Universal Basic Income go mainstream.

The Holy Grail of Automation: Now a Robot Can Unload a Truck

 

There are still some people who haven't realized just how fast and vast the global switch to renewables is. If you're one of them, this statistic should put it in perspective. China installed 93 GW of solar capacity in May 2025. Put another way, that's about 30 nuclear power stations worth of electricity capacity. All this cheap renewable energy will power China's industrial might in AI & robotics too. Meanwhile western countries look increasingly dazed, confused, and out of date.

China breaks more records with surge in solar and wind power

[–] Lugh@futurology.today 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

This topic fascinates me. There are more space telescopes from Europe, the US and China due to launch, that will have even greater capability for biosignature detection than now. I wonder how soon the day will come when one of these findings will be regarded as definitive proof?

[–] Lugh@futurology.today 19 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

I don't like or support Hezbollah, but the added irony here is that Northern Ireland (where Mo Chara is from) is festooned with British-supporting terrorist flags from groups like the UDF & UDA; pro-British terrorist groups active during The Troubles.

[–] Lugh@futurology.today 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Both the US & Russia have claimed Mach 20 with the HTV-2 (DARPA's Falcon Project) & Avangard respectively. China’s DF-ZF HGV reportedly reaches Mach 5–10.

If this golden dome goes ahead, I suspect/guess the ensuing counter-developments will mean true Mach 20 will be achievable within a ten year time frame for all three countries.

[–] Lugh@futurology.today 6 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I’m calling bullshit.

Their findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal, Nature.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-59698-y

[–] Lugh@futurology.today 4 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

without refrigerant

Yes, they say this does away with the need for compressors or refrigerants.

"This cools by using electrons to move heat through specialized semiconductor materials, eliminating the need for moving parts or challenging coolant liquids."

[–] Lugh@futurology.today 13 points 2 months ago

79% of 16-21 year olds say technology companies should be required by law to build robust privacy safeguards into technology and platforms used by children and teenagers.

This is another illustration of the huge divide between Big Tech and everyone else. Big Tech wants total freedom from regulation with no accountability for any damage or costs to others they cause. The general population overwhelmingly feels the opposite. Thanks to their ability to line politician's pockets, it's Big Tech who usually wins out.

In Britain's case, desperate to get a trade deal with the US, it's been dangling the offer of even less regulation on tech & AI.

[–] Lugh@futurology.today 9 points 2 months ago (2 children)

then prescriptions should be done away with and all drugs should be available.

It used to be the way the world was. The result was huge amounts of addiction (laudanum was 10% opium), and gullible people being peddled snake oil.

[–] Lugh@futurology.today 13 points 2 months ago (1 children)

The bill, which was passed by the state legislature on April 29 and is expected to be signed by Governor Greg Gianforte, essentially expands on existing Right to Try legislation in the state.

The same people who are denying abortions & medical care to trans people, are all for "freedom" and right to choose when it comes to other people's medical choices?

[–] Lugh@futurology.today 1 points 2 months ago

…in a similar way as with conventional rental cars – which can be hired to transport people to “a range of destinations, including cultural landmarks and urban tourist attractions.”

Baidu, like everyone else, still hasn't got to true Level 5 self-driving. But it doesn't need Level 5 to be offering services like this. If you have mapped out the 100 most popular destinations in a city, and fixed routes between them, then level 4 self-driving like they have now, is all you need.

This isn't the same as a regular rental car you can drive anywhere, but many people would be happy with a car that covers a city's Top 100 spots. How does this differ from a taxi? Seemingly that you rent it for specified time slots, whether you're in the car driving or not.

[–] Lugh@futurology.today 6 points 2 months ago

Yes, Meta are 2nd, I amended the text.

[–] Lugh@futurology.today 3 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

I'm pretty sure in Trump's addled brain he thinks if the US gets a human on Mars first & plants the US flag, he can claim the whole planet as belonging to the US.

[–] Lugh@futurology.today 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

The accuracy rate will improve, sadly most of the developing word barely recycles anything.

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