05 Sci-Tech

From farmland to construction: Bacteria strains offer sustainable biocement solution – Phys.org

pgnewser February 20, 2025 0

From farmland to construction: Bacteria strains offer sustainable biocement solution – Phys.org
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A recent study examines the effectiveness of environmental strains for the production of biocement. The study’s lead author, Dimitrios Terzis, is an EPFL senior scientist and a co-founder of Medusoil, a company that produces organic binders and that opened a production plant in Vaud in 2024.

RFK Jr. Confirmed as HHS Secretary; Widespread Firings Coming to FDA, CDC – Food Safety Magazine

pgnewser February 20, 2025 0

RFK Jr. Confirmed as HHS Secretary; Widespread Firings Coming to FDA, CDC – Food Safety Magazine
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Changes are coming to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the Trump Administration with the recent confirmation of presidential nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr., J.D. (RFK Jr.) as Secretary, amid talks of major workforce reductions at HHS agencies including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

On Thursday, February 13, 2025, RFK Jr., known for his “Make America Healthy Again” (“MAHA”) agenda, was confirmed as HHS Secretary in a 52-48 Senate vote. Shortly after confirmation, he signed President Trump’s executive order, titled, Establishing the President’s Make America Healthy Again Commission, which orders “executive departments and agencies that address health or healthcare,” including agencies responsible for food safety, to “focus on reversing chronic disease.”

Tesla Moves to Toss Infringement Suit Over Self-Driving Patents – Bloomberg Law

pgnewser February 20, 2025 0

Tesla Moves to Toss Infringement Suit Over Self-Driving Patents – Bloomberg Law
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Tesla Inc. urged a federal judge to ax the majority of a lawsuit accusing its self-driving cars of infringing a trio of autonomous vehicle patents.

Granite Vehicle Ventures LLC’s infringement claims related to US Patent Nos. 11,738,765 and 12,037,004 should be dismissed because the firm failed to plead “any facts whatsoever to allege infringement” of the two inventions, Tesla argued in a motion filed Feb. 14 in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. The electric vehicle giant also moved to transfer the suit to a California federal court, but filed the motion under seal because it …

Iran unveils new drones in military drill: What to know – Al-Monitor

pgnewser February 20, 2025 0

Iran unveils new drones in military drill: What to know – Al-Monitor
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Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps introduced a number of new drones during large-scale war games on Monday. The drills come as Iran works to shore up its strength in the face of increasingly hostile relations with the US and Israeli governments.

The drill, “Great Prophet-19,” is taking place in Shavariyeh, in Iran’s southwestern province of Khuzestan, and features Iranian-made drones “for surveillance and precise fire control,” senior IRGC commander Hamidreza Bahmani told IRNA.

IRNA said that the drill “aims to evaluate the effectiveness of defense plans against possible attacks, among other objectives.”

During the drill, Iran unveiled seven new kamikaze and reconnaissance drones, Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency reported, including:

  • The Bina reconnaissance drone with an operational range of 40 kilometers
  • The Qandil 4 and 5 reconnaissance drones, with a range of 100 kilometers and a flight endurance of five and 10 hours, respectively
  • The Arbaeen vertical take-off and landing drone with a range of 10 kilometers and carrying a seven-kilogram warhead
  • The Raad 2 kamikaze drone with a range of 20 kilometers and a five-kilogram warhead
  • The Raad 3 kamikaze drone with a range of 100 kilometers and a 12-kilogram warhead
  • The Saeqeh suicide drone with a range of 20 kilometers and a one-kilogram warhead
  • The Redwan loitering drone, with a range of 20 kilometers and a flight duration of 20 minutes

Mark Zuckerberg Follows Elon Musk’s Footsteps As Meta Reportedly Plans Major Investment Into AI-Powered Humanoid Robots – Yahoo Finance

pgnewser February 20, 2025 0

Mark Zuckerberg Follows Elon Musk’s Footsteps As Meta Reportedly Plans Major Investment Into AI-Powered Humanoid Robots – Yahoo Finance
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Mark Zuckerberg could be following Elon Musk’s footsteps, as Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) is reportedly planning a significant investment into AI-powered humanoid robots.

What Happened: Meta is forming a new team within its Reality Labs hardware division to spearhead this initiative, according to Bloomberg.

The tech giant plans to develop its own humanoid robot hardware, initially focusing on household tasks. The broader aim is to create AI, sensors, and software for robots that other companies will manufacture and sell.

Meta has started discussions with robotics firms like Unitree Robotics and Figure AI Inc.