Category: Science

Video

Why Microsoft, IBM, Google and Boeing are taking a giant leap into quantum computing

by Alan Boyle on October 18, 2018October 18, 2018 at 6:37 pmComment

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The small world of quantum physics is a big deal on the frontier of computer science. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella rates quantum computing as one of three key… Read More

Video

Breakthrough Prizes award $22M for new therapies, new materials, math and more

by Alan Boyle on October 17, 2018October 17, 2018 at 5:53 pmComment

The program known as the “Oscars of Science” has revealed who’ll be getting the spotlight — and almost $22 million in awards — at next month’s Breakthrough Prize ceremony in Silicon Valley.… Read More

Boeing steps up its focus on ‘Disruptive Computing and Networks’ for aerospace

by Alan Boyle on October 17, 2018October 17, 2018 at 10:43 amComment

Boeing is raising its profile on computational frontiers ranging from artificial intelligence to quantum communications by setting up a new organization called Disruptive Computing and Networks, or DC&N, to put… Read More

Video

Apollo 17 moonwalker Harrison Schmitt stirs up a buzz with climate change views

by Alan Boyle on October 15, 2018October 15, 2018 at 10:46 pm 28 Comments

WASHINGTON, D.C. — I didn’t invite Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt to get his views on climate change, but that’s the topic that created the most fireworks here today at the… Read More

Video

When we eventually run from the robots, we better be able to do parkour like this one can now

by Kurt Schlosser on October 11, 2018October 11, 2018 at 3:37 pmComment

Looks like that Boston Dynamics robot is spending too much time on Instagram watching the kids do the parkour. I think parkour is French for “please stop before you break… Read More

Amazon’s got a brand new bag: This one’s adjustable to carry hot and cold items

by Alan Boyle on October 9, 2018October 9, 2018 at 5:27 pmComment

Insulated bags for pizza deliveries and cooler bags for ice-cold drinks are nothing new. But how about if you put them together? Amazon’s inventors thought the idea was novel enough… Read More

At Amazon, Boeing and Microsoft, venture funds balance strategy and the bottom line

by Alan Boyle on October 9, 2018October 9, 2018 at 4:28 pmComment

When big companies like Amazon, Boeing and Microsoft invest in startups, is it all about the startup? Or is it all about what the startup can do for the big… Read More

Working Geek: Sage Bionetworks’ Lara Mangravite brings scientists together to speed discovery

by Lisa Stiffler on October 6, 2018October 5, 2018 at 2:25 pmComment

Scientists aren’t known for playing well with others. After all, their world is set up to reward individual accomplishments through journal publications, professorships and grants. Lara Mangravite, president of Sage… Read More

Video

Gender expert at University of Washington thought her ‘genius grant’ was a prank

by Alan Boyle on October 5, 2018October 6, 2018 at 10:36 am1 Comment

When University of Washington psychology professor Kristina Olson got the call telling her she’d be receiving one of the MacArthur Foundation’s “genius grants,” she had to ask if they had… Read More

Video

Zunum Aero picks Safran to build engine turbines for future hybrid electric aircraft

by Alan Boyle on October 4, 2018October 4, 2018 at 9:02 pmComment

Zunum Aero has selected France’s Safran Helicopter Engines to provide a new-generation engine turbine for its hybrid-to-electric airplane, due for first flight in the early 2020s. Safran’s Ardiden 3Z… Read More

Watch Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg take some ‘stick time’ in a T-X training jet

by Alan Boyle on October 4, 2018October 4, 2018 at 7:37 pmComment

One of the things I learned about Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg is that he loves to fly the aircraft his company makes, even when they’re high-performance military jets. Take the… Read More

Video

City of Seattle says it’ll challenge FCC ‘overreach’ on 5G telecom transition policy

by Alan Boyle on October 2, 2018October 2, 2018 at 11:01 am1 Comment

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and City Attorney Pete Holmes say they intend to appeal an order from the Federal Communications Commission that mandates how much municipalities can charge for letting… Read More

Video

Tesla rebounds after Elon Musk settles SEC lawsuit (and after big Model 3 push)

by Alan Boyle on October 1, 2018October 18, 2018 at 10:55 amComment

Tesla’s share price jumped today as dramatically as it fell on Friday, thanks largely to this weekend’s settlement of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s complaints against the company and its… Read More

Paul Allen says non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma has returned but voices optimism about fighting it

by Alan Boyle on October 1, 2018October 15, 2018 at 5:07 pm1 Comment

Nine years after he underwent treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a potentially fatal but treatable form of cancer, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen says the disease has returned. On Twitter and in… Read More

Video

Boeing beats Lockheed to win $9.2B Air Force contract for fleet of T-X training jets

by Alan Boyle on September 27, 2018September 27, 2018 at 5:08 pm1 Comment

The U.S. Air Force has awarded Boeing a contract worth up to $9.2 billion for a new fleet of T-X training jets that it originally thought would cost twice as… Read More

Video

SEC charges Tesla CEO Elon Musk with securities fraud over ‘misleading’ tweets

by Alan Boyle on September 27, 2018September 27, 2018 at 11:53 pm1 Comment

The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged Tesla’s billionaire CEO and chairman, Elon Musk, with securities fraud over a series of controversial tweets focusing on the electric-car company’s future financial… Read More

Video

Backed by Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, Breakthrough Energy Ventures lists seven new investments

by Alan Boyle on September 26, 2018September 26, 2018 at 9:09 pmComment

Breakthrough Energy Ventures, the $1 billion energy innovation fund spearheaded by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, has revealed seven more companies in which it’s investing, including startups that aim to build… Read More

Video

Paul Allen enlists machine-learning tools for monitoring wildlife and ecosystems

by Alan Boyle on September 26, 2018September 26, 2018 at 11:48 amComment

Paul Allen has made a name for himself as a co-founder of Microsoft, a supporter of artificial intelligence research and a contributor to causes such as wildlife conservation — so it… Read More

Video

Boeing and National Science Foundation team up for STEM diversity and training

by Alan Boyle on September 24, 2018September 24, 2018 at 5:56 pmComment

The National Science Foundation and Boeing say they’ve forged a $21 million partnership to accelerate skill development and increase diversity in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math, known… Read More

Video

White House issues quantum computing strategy and hosts public-private summit

by Alan Boyle on September 24, 2018September 24, 2018 at 5:08 pmComment

Federal officials and industry leaders — including representatives from Microsoft and Google — met today at a White House summit to spark new initiatives in quantum information science. Among the recommendations… Read More

Video

3-D movies in the air? Alaska Airlines adds virtual reality to in-flight entertainment

by Alan Boyle on September 24, 2018September 24, 2018 at 12:28 pmComment

Alaska Airlines is adding virtual reality to its in-flight entertainment menu in an experiment aimed at recreating a movie theater experience at 35,000 feet. The Seattle-based airline has partnered with… Read More

Amazon aims to patent fulfillment centers that can ride the rails and dispatch drones

by Alan Boyle on September 20, 2018September 20, 2018 at 1:04 pm 2 Comments

If Amazon follows through on a pair of patent applications, future fulfillment centers could be transported on their rounds by trains, ships or trucks and deliver their goods with autonomous… Read More

Video

BluHaptics rebrands itself as Olis Robotics and acquires machine learning startup

by Alan Boyle on September 19, 2018September 19, 2018 at 7:44 am1 Comment

For five years, a University of Washington spin-out called BluHaptics has been building up a business focusing on robotic control software for underwater robots — and now the Seattle startup is… Read More

Tesla stock declines after report of criminal probe into Elon Musk’s ‘funding secured’ comment

by Alan Boyle on September 18, 2018September 22, 2018 at 7:13 pmComment

Tesla shares fell by as much as 6.5 percent today after Bloomberg News reported that the electric-car company was the subject of a criminal investigation by the Justice Department, focusing… Read More

Video

Pivotal Commware raises millions more in investment for beamforming antennas

by Alan Boyle on September 17, 2018September 18, 2018 at 10:04 amComment

BELLEVUE, Wash. — Pivotal Commware, a venture that’s backed by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, is in the midst of a fresh funding round that could bring in $20 million or more… Read More

Video

Seattle skyline turns blue this week to celebrate Allen Institute’s 15th birthday

by Alan Boyle on September 17, 2018September 17, 2018 at 2:56 pmComment

If you see a lot of blue lights around Seattle landmarks this week, it’s not in honor of the Seahawks — this time, the color scheme is paying tribute to another… Read More

Video

RIP, J50? Friends of the killer whales mourn emaciated orca, but search goes on

by Alan Boyle on September 14, 2018September 14, 2018 at 1:00 pm1 Comment

The emaciated and ailing killer whale known as J50 or Scarlet has disappeared from her family group, and experts presume that she’s dead. Nevertheless, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration… Read More

Photos

Scientists in a sub turn up good news during expedition in the Salish Sea

by Alan Boyle on September 14, 2018September 14, 2018 at 12:36 pm 6 Comments

FRIDAY HARBOR, Wash. — This week’s Salish Sea Expedition is unfolding amid the heavily trafficked waters off the San Juan Islands, but there’s still plenty of room here for scientific discoveries. For… Read More

A drone that’s an on-demand data server? The perfect patent for Amazon’s ambitions

by Alan Boyle on September 11, 2018September 11, 2018 at 4:49 pmComment

Amazon is well-known for developing delivery drones, and for delivering data through Amazon Web Services — so it had to be only a matter of time before someone at Amazon came… Read More

Video

Boeing gets $2.9B contract for 18 Air Force KC-46 tankers as it nears first deliveries

by Alan Boyle on September 10, 2018September 10, 2018 at 4:58 pmComment

News Brief: The U.S. Air Force today awarded Boeing a $2.9 billion contract for 18 more KC-46A tanker aircraft and associated equipment, bringing the total number of tankers on contract… Read More

Why Microsoft, IBM, Google and Boeing are taking a giant leap into quantum computing

Breakthrough Prizes award $22M for new therapies, new materials, math and more

Boeing steps up its focus on ‘Disruptive Computing and Networks’ for aerospace

Apollo 17 moonwalker Harrison Schmitt stirs up a buzz with climate change views

When we eventually run from the robots, we better be able to do parkour like this one can now

Amazon’s got a brand new bag: This one’s adjustable to carry hot and cold items

At Amazon, Boeing and Microsoft, venture funds balance strategy and the bottom line

Working Geek: Sage Bionetworks’ Lara Mangravite brings scientists together to speed discovery

Gender expert at University of Washington thought her ‘genius grant’ was a prank

Zunum Aero picks Safran to build engine turbines for future hybrid electric aircraft

Watch Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg take some ‘stick time’ in a T-X training jet

City of Seattle says it’ll challenge FCC ‘overreach’ on 5G telecom transition policy

Tesla rebounds after Elon Musk settles SEC lawsuit (and after big Model 3 push)

Paul Allen says non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma has returned but voices optimism about fighting it

Boeing beats Lockheed to win $9.2B Air Force contract for fleet of T-X training jets

SEC charges Tesla CEO Elon Musk with securities fraud over ‘misleading’ tweets

Backed by Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, Breakthrough Energy Ventures lists seven new investments

Paul Allen enlists machine-learning tools for monitoring wildlife and ecosystems

Boeing and National Science Foundation team up for STEM diversity and training

White House issues quantum computing strategy and hosts public-private summit

3-D movies in the air? Alaska Airlines adds virtual reality to in-flight entertainment

Amazon aims to patent fulfillment centers that can ride the rails and dispatch drones

BluHaptics rebrands itself as Olis Robotics and acquires machine learning startup

Tesla stock declines after report of criminal probe into Elon Musk’s ‘funding secured’ comment

Pivotal Commware raises millions more in investment for beamforming antennas

Seattle skyline turns blue this week to celebrate Allen Institute’s 15th birthday

RIP, J50? Friends of the killer whales mourn emaciated orca, but search goes on

Scientists in a sub turn up good news during expedition in the Salish Sea

A drone that’s an on-demand data server? The perfect patent for Amazon’s ambitions

Boeing gets $2.9B contract for 18 Air Force KC-46 tankers as it nears first deliveries

NASA International Space Apps Challenge – Seattle,WA

Jamie Susskind: Living Together in a World Transformed by Tech

Gamesforum Seattle