Science – GeekWire

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Scientists track cryptocurrency discussions on Reddit to learn how disinformation spreads

by Alan Boyle on June 15, 2019June 15, 2019 at 9:06 amComment

Computer scientists from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have mapped the ebb and flow of Reddit’s discussions about cryptocurrency — not only to see how online chatter can predict market… Read More

Video

OceanGate puts off plans to dive to Titanic shipwreck this year, due to topside tangle

by Alan Boyle on June 13, 2019June 13, 2019 at 4:52 pm1 Comment

Everett, Wash.-based OceanGate has had to postpone this summer’s deep-sea dives to the Titanic shipwreck, just as they were about to start, due to complications relating to the expedition’s intended… Read More

Video

Uber shows off its latest concept for air taxis; FAA chief hits hard on safety issue

by Alan Boyle on June 11, 2019June 11, 2019 at 4:06 pm 3 Comments

Uber says it’s on track to start flying its first all-electric air taxis on a demonstration basis next year, with commercial service due to begin in the Dallas-Fort Worth and… Read More

Video

‘Photo Wake-Up’ makes still photographs – and Picasso paintings – come eerily alive

by Alan Boyle on June 10, 2019June 10, 2019 at 3:26 pmComment

What would it be like to see pictures of moonwalkers, comic-book characters and painted portraits get up and walk right out of their frames? It’s an eerie thought – but… Read More

University of Washington researchers use robots to unlock mysteries of massive holes in Antarctic ice

by Monica Nickelsburg on June 10, 2019June 10, 2019 at 10:47 am1 Comment

For years, giant holes in Antarctic sea ice have confounded scientists. But this week researchers from the University of Washington announced a breakthrough. The mysterious phenomenon: Giant holes in the… Read More

Video

From augmented reality to fake news: Five glimpses of the future from sci-fi author Neal Stephenson

by Alan Boyle on June 8, 2019June 8, 2019 at 7:22 pmComment

Seattle author Neal Stephenson’s works of fiction often play off the potential for future facts — for example, the virtual world described in “Snow Crash,” the nanotechnology at the heart… Read More

Video

Alexa gets smarter about combining AI skills, starting with dinner and a movie

by Alan Boyle on June 5, 2019June 5, 2019 at 11:45 pmComment

LAS VEGAS — Amazon’s Alexa virtual assistant will soon get savvier about juggling its thousands of skills — starting with arranging all the elements for a night out. Cross-skill action… Read More

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos gets a laugh out of his round with a robotic arm at re:MARS conference

by Alan Boyle on June 5, 2019June 8, 2019 at 10:02 pmComment

LAS VEGAS — Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’ handshake is at least as firm as a robotic hand’s grip. I found that out for myself today at Amazon’s inaugural re:MARS conference,… Read More

Video

Amazon Robotics unveils two new breeds of robots for its fulfillment centers

by Alan Boyle on June 5, 2019June 5, 2019 at 3:33 pm1 Comment

LAS VEGAS — Amazon says there are now 200,000 robots working alongside 300,000 people at its distribution facilities around the world, and there’s more to come. Brad Porter, vice president… Read More

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Amazon shows off new all-electric Prime Air drone that will start delivering packages ‘within months’

by Alan Boyle on June 5, 2019June 5, 2019 at 3:14 pm 5 Comments

LAS VEGAS — Amazon’s drone ambitions took another step forward today as the tech giant revealed its latest delivery drone design. At Amazon’s re:MARS conference, Amazon’s Worldwide Consumer CEO, Jeff… Read More

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At Amazon’s re:MARS fest, Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr. unveils campaign to clean up the planet

by Alan Boyle on June 4, 2019June 5, 2019 at 1:17 am 4 Comments

LAS VEGAS — Robert Downey Jr. has been saving the planet in Marvel movies for 11 years as a cinematic Iron Man. Now he wants to spend the next 11… Read More

Book excerpt: Neal Stephenson’s ‘Fall’ foretells the future of Seattle’s South Lake Union tech hub

by Alan Boyle on June 4, 2019June 4, 2019 at 3:02 pmComment

Today, Seattle’s South Lake Union district is a beehive of tech activity, dotted with campuses for Amazon, Facebook and Google. The neighborhood retains that role in “Fall; or, Dodge in… Read More

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Boeing HorizonX leads funding round for Robotic Skies drone servicing venture

by Alan Boyle on June 4, 2019June 4, 2019 at 12:13 pmComment

Boeing’s venture capital arm is leading an investment round for Robotic Skies, a New Mexico-based startup that offers a global network of repair stations for drones. Other investors in the… Read More

Podcast

Science-fiction master Neal Stephenson blends high tech and high fantasy in ‘Fall’

by Alan Boyle on May 31, 2019June 8, 2019 at 7:06 pmComment

Are we living in a simulation? Is there an afterlife? And if not, what would it take to create one? Seattle science-fiction author Neal Stephenson knits together ideas as old… Read More

Volunteers asked to give up a little floorspace in Seattle to help scientists better map seismic data

by Kurt Schlosser on May 30, 2019May 30, 2019 at 1:31 pmComment

Worrying about your own property during an earthquake would be a natural reaction, but what if your home could help in an experiment before an earthquake, to better understand how… Read More

Video

Bill Gates touts €100 million venture fund for Breakthrough Energy Ventures Europe

by Alan Boyle on May 28, 2019May 28, 2019 at 3:24 pm 2 Comments

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is celebrating the official launch of Breakthrough Energy Ventures Europe, an investment fund that aims to boost clean-energy innovation in Europe to the tune of 100… Read More

Video

Researchers use the ancient art of origami to produce high-tech shock absorbers

by Alan Boyle on May 24, 2019May 24, 2019 at 2:49 pm 2 Comments

Can origami protect football players and reusable rockets? Researchers have shown how the ancient art of paper-folding can soften the shock of an impact, whether it’s cracking into a helmet… Read More

Video

Allen Coral Atlas adds spectacular satellite views of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef

by Alan Boyle on May 21, 2019May 21, 2019 at 2:47 pmComment

When you think of the crown jewels of the coral reefs, it’s hard not to think of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef — and now those jewels are on full display… Read More

Video

Temporarily grounded? Recreational drone operators face new FAA requirements

by Alan Boyle on May 17, 2019May 17, 2019 at 11:50 amComment

Are you planning to take your drone out for a spin this weekend? First, you’d better check the map, and a new list of requirements from the Federal Aviation Administration.… Read More

New Horizons’ far-out findings from solar system’s Kuiper Belt turn into a cover story

by Alan Boyle on May 16, 2019May 16, 2019 at 7:25 pm1 Comment

The space snowman known as 2014 MU69 or Ultima Thule added to its celebrity today by showing up on the cover of the journal Science, with the first peer-reviewed results… Read More

Video

Boeing says it’s finished with 737 MAX software update and plans final test flight

by Alan Boyle on May 16, 2019May 16, 2019 at 2:32 pmComment

Two months after a pair of catastrophic crashes led to the grounding of Boeing’s 737 MAX jets worldwide, the company says it has finished work on a software update aimed… Read More

GeekWire Calendar Picks: Picturing black holes; Cloud City Tech Meetup; and classic arcade games

by Nicole Tanner on May 16, 2019May 16, 2019 at 10:37 amComment

–One of the biggest scientific feats was accomplished this year when a team of astronomers captured an image of a black hole. The achievement reignited our wonder and enthusiasm toward… Read More

Video

Xnor releases AI2GO, a do-it-yourself software platform for artificial intelligence

by Alan Boyle on May 16, 2019May 16, 2019 at 12:26 amComment

Now you too can put a little AI on your device, even if you’re not up on the ins and outs of artificial intelligence. The way to do it is… Read More

Video

Backed by Elon Musk, Global Learning XPRIZE awards $10M to two tech teams

by Alan Boyle on May 15, 2019May 16, 2019 at 2:54 pmComment

Two educational companies shared the $10 million top award in the Global Learning XPRIZE, a contest backed by Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of SpaceX and Tesla. Musk provided a… Read More

Video

Acting FAA chief admits regulatory fixes are needed in wake of 737 MAX crashes

by Alan Boyle on May 15, 2019May 15, 2019 at 2:37 pm 2 Comments

The acting head of the Federal Aviation Administration acknowledged during a congressional hearing today that his agency will tighten up its regulatory procedures as a result of the investigation into… Read More

Video

AI researchers say San Francisco’s facial recognition ban just scratches the surface

by Alan Boyle on May 15, 2019May 16, 2019 at 9:06 amComment

San Francisco’s board of supervisors took a significant step this week when it voted to ban the use of facial recognition software for law enforcement purposes, but such measures by… Read More

Video

Apple-picking robots gear up for U.S. debut in Washington state

by James Thorne on May 13, 2019May 14, 2019 at 10:45 am1 Comment

Next fall, as you browse the produce section at your local grocery store, pay close attention to the apples. You might be witnessing American history. For the first time, some… Read More

Photos

Washington Hyperloop slims down its pod racer for Elon Musk’s next big contest

by Alan Boyle on May 11, 2019May 12, 2019 at 10:47 pmComment

Could this year be the year for Washington Hyperloop? For the fourth time, the students on University of Washington’s pod-racing team are taking aim at the top prize in tech… Read More

Video

Tenax Aerospace invests millions in Overwatch Imaging to boost autonomous aerial surveys

by Alan Boyle on May 8, 2019May 8, 2019 at 11:31 amComment

Overwatch Imaging, an Oregon venture that specializes in airborne imaging systems, says it has won a multimillion-dollar investment from Tenax Aerospace, which focuses on aviation solutions that are specialized to… Read More

Video

Boeing says problem with 737 MAX warning signal slipped through the cracks

by Alan Boyle on May 6, 2019May 6, 2019 at 12:14 pm1 Comment

Boeing says a warning alert system that figures in the investigation of two catastrophic 737 MAX crashes didn’t work the way it was supposed to because of a software flaw… Read More

Scientists track cryptocurrency discussions on Reddit to learn how disinformation spreads

OceanGate puts off plans to dive to Titanic shipwreck this year, due to topside tangle

Uber shows off its latest concept for air taxis; FAA chief hits hard on safety issue

‘Photo Wake-Up’ makes still photographs – and Picasso paintings – come eerily alive

University of Washington researchers use robots to unlock mysteries of massive holes in Antarctic ice

From augmented reality to fake news: Five glimpses of the future from sci-fi author Neal Stephenson

Alexa gets smarter about combining AI skills, starting with dinner and a movie

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos gets a laugh out of his round with a robotic arm at re:MARS conference

Amazon Robotics unveils two new breeds of robots for its fulfillment centers

Amazon shows off new all-electric Prime Air drone that will start delivering packages ‘within months’

At Amazon’s re:MARS fest, Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr. unveils campaign to clean up the planet

Book excerpt: Neal Stephenson’s ‘Fall’ foretells the future of Seattle’s South Lake Union tech hub

Boeing HorizonX leads funding round for Robotic Skies drone servicing venture

Science-fiction master Neal Stephenson blends high tech and high fantasy in ‘Fall’

Volunteers asked to give up a little floorspace in Seattle to help scientists better map seismic data

Bill Gates touts €100 million venture fund for Breakthrough Energy Ventures Europe

Researchers use the ancient art of origami to produce high-tech shock absorbers

Allen Coral Atlas adds spectacular satellite views of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef

Temporarily grounded? Recreational drone operators face new FAA requirements

New Horizons’ far-out findings from solar system’s Kuiper Belt turn into a cover story

Boeing says it’s finished with 737 MAX software update and plans final test flight

GeekWire Calendar Picks: Picturing black holes; Cloud City Tech Meetup; and classic arcade games

Xnor releases AI2GO, a do-it-yourself software platform for artificial intelligence

Backed by Elon Musk, Global Learning XPRIZE awards $10M to two tech teams

Acting FAA chief admits regulatory fixes are needed in wake of 737 MAX crashes

AI researchers say San Francisco’s facial recognition ban just scratches the surface

Apple-picking robots gear up for U.S. debut in Washington state

Washington Hyperloop slims down its pod racer for Elon Musk’s next big contest

Tenax Aerospace invests millions in Overwatch Imaging to boost autonomous aerial surveys

Boeing says problem with 737 MAX warning signal slipped through the cracks

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