POP-SCIENCE

REPORT

BY: GREGORIO CHAVEZ

The next big space race is happening in Asia
On September 7, India's Chandrayaan-2 lunar mission deployed its
Vikram lander for an attempted landing at the moon's south pole.
Communications with the lander were lost just minutes prior to the
scheduled landing. Recent imaging suggests that Vikram may have
survived the landing intact, but it might be unable to communicate.
No matter the outcome, the mission has already proved successful
as Chandrayaan-2 continues to orbit the Moon. Chandrayaan-2 adds
to the list of India's recent accomplishments in space. This probe
was sent on a scientific mission, but India's achievements in space
include other military developments, all of which reflect a challenge
to China. Though some are warning of a space race between the
U.S. and China, I suggest the real space race is happening in Asia.
This year alone, both China and India have landed, or attempted to
land, probes on the moon. These types of missions are one way to
achieve international prestige. But they also peacefully demonstrate
capabilities that could be used in conflict. From my perspective as a
space policy analyst, India's activities, combined with its escalating
tensions with Pakistan, contribute to increasing regional tension.
 Current Tech Rumors (GO PRO 8)

Last year, GoPro introduced its new motion smoothing

tech in the Hero 7 camera, which was a big jump over
the previous model. Now, the Hero 8 has reportedly
leaked and its big selling point may be
super-slow-motion in ultra-high resolution. Purported
leaks from Photo Rumors claim the camera will shoot
at 120 fps with a 4K resolution, which is double the
current model. The leak also claims to show a new
accessory mounting system that allows for nifty
gadgets like an LED light panel. The GoPro max is a
dual-camera system with one front and one rear-facing
module.
Iphone 11
Nothing dominates a week of tech news quite like an
iPhone launch event. This week, Apple unleashed a bevy
of new products, including the iPhone 11 (which comes
in standard and Pro versions), as well as the Apple
Watch 5, a new $329 iPad, and details about its
upcoming services like Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade.
You can catch up on all the specifics in our event post.
The new iPhones went on sale this morning and the big
question, of course, is should you buy one? it’s a simple
process to decide, actually. Ask yourself: “Does my
phone still work and can it get the latest version of its
operating system?” If the answer is yes, then you’re
probably good with what you have. If the answer is “no,”
then how are you reading this through all those cracks in
your screen?
 The coolest planes at the Reno air races

At the National Championship Air Races in Reno,

Nevada, over 100 small aircraft droned, whined and
roared as they zoomed in races at hundreds of miles
per hour over the high desert floor; they maneuvered
around giant courses, banking left around pylons
that mark their turns. These aircraft range from tiny,
home-built planes in the “sport” category, to full-on
jets, to biplanes. All told, there are six different types
of planes that compete. The pits at Reno Stead
Airport are where the planes, crew, and pilots hang
out when they’re not racing, just like race cars spend
time in pits. Here’s are some of the coolest machines
we saw as we roamed the grounds under the hot
sun.
 Facebook's New Portal Video Chat Devices
This morning, Facebook announced updates to
itsPortal line of video chat devices and dropped the
prices on its existing gadgets. The Portals, for the
most part, provide a permanent video chat hub
integrated with some voice assistant features. The
line debuted last year, but it landed hot on the heels of
some of the company's biggest privacy scandals.
They were also rather pricey. The $199 standard
model with a 10-inch screen wasn't a bad deal, but the
luxurious Portal+, which added fancy features like a
rotating base and face tracking to follow you around
as you chat, demanded a high price tag of $349. And
with recent additions to the video chat/smart screen
space from Google and Amazon, we could be getting
closer to widespread adoption.
 Lamborghini built a supercapacitor into its
Sián hybrid
Lamborghini previewed the future of its hyper-performance cars
with the announcement of the Sián, a hybrid-electric V12 that is
the marque’s fastest and most powerful model yet. At 819
horsepower, the Sián (Bolognese slang for a flash of lightning)
rockets to 62 mph in just 2.8 seconds. Its top speed exceeds
217 mph.To achieve this performance, Lamborghini is employing
a 48-volt, 34-horsepower hybrid electric motor built into the car’s
transmission to supplement the 6.5-liter V12’s 785 horsepower.
To maximize the effect of the electric motor, it is powered by a
supercapacitor rather than the usual lithium-ion battery pack.
These cells don't hold a charge as long as a typical battery, but
they charge in quickly and in short bursts. It's similar to the tech
Samsung uses to quickly charge the battery in the S-Pen stylus
that comes with its Galaxy Note 10 smartphone.The result is a
very lightweight 75-lb. system that can very quickly absorb
energy during braking and unleash it during acceleration. The
electric motor also works in low-speed situations, such as
parking, to make mundane chores a little easier in what would
otherwise be a high-strung thoroughbred.
 A U.S. adventurer just became the first to
reach all of the world’s deepest spots
There aren't many firsts left, and adventurer Victor Vescovo
knocked off arguably the last major one — at least here on Earth —
when he reached the Molloy Deep, the bottommost point in the
Arctic Ocean, on August 24. That dive, embargoed until yesterday,
was the final of the so-called Five Deeps mission, Vescovo's quest
to reach the absolute lowest spot in each ocean.Starting in
December 2018 off Puerto Rico—where PopSci followed Vescovo's
first attempt from aboard the mission ship—the Texas
businessman's submersible, Limiting Factor, carried him solo to the
deepest points on the planet. Over 10 months, Vescovo, his crew,
and a scientific team circumnavigated the globe aboard the sub's
mother ship, Pressure Drop, covering more than 46,000 miles.
Vescovo says that the expedition discovered perhaps 40-plus new
species, corrected underwater maps, and studied the places known
as hadal zones for pollutants and microscopic creatures. The effort
culminated in last week's dive off Svalbard Island.
 Computer Monitors To Seriously Upgrade Your Home
Office

An additional monitor can expand your workspace without

the expense of a new desk or computer. If you typically use a
laptop, but want a larger screen at home or at your office, a
larger display at eye-level can also help you sit up straight
instead of hunching over your laptop. Some elements to pay
attention to: size, available adjustments, resolution, and
speed. Below are a few monitors we recommend.The HP
23.8-inch monitor is the most basic and most affordable
option on this list. It comes with basic brightness and
contrast features as well as tilt and height adjustment. If
you’re not too picky about resolution or speed and just need a
monitor for internet browsing and emails—and not, say, photo
editing—this one will do the job.
 Portable Keyboards To Help You Work On
The Go
Tablets and smartphones are great for a lot of reasons—portability
and versatility, to name a few—but typing on a touchscreen isn’t
ideal if you’re trying to get actual work done. Bluetooth keyboards
are a simple piece that let you easily edit documents or compose
long emails on your phone or tablet. Here are a few great options for
portable keyboards.When folded, this keyboard is slightly larger
than an iPhone X, but it expands to 10.3 inches, roughly the same
size as the keyboard on a Macbook Air 13. Unlike other models, this
design doesn’t leave a gap where the device folds, so it’s one
continuous keyboard with no breaks. The iClever works with all
Bluetooth compatible devices, however, there isn’t a secondary way
to connect this keyboard to a device that doesn’t support Bluetooth,
like an older laptop.
 Explore the gauges, levers, and history of a
747's iconic cockpit
The cockpit of a British Airways Boeing 747-400 is a beautifully
complex place where a handful of analog gauges live side-by-side
with digital displays.Among the vast array of system switches
and controls in the worn flight deck, some parts are easier to
understand than others. Four Rolls Royce engines power the
giant 747 aircraft, hanging off wings that span about 211
feet—and in the center of the cockpit are four ivory-colored thrust
levers, one for each engine.I'm a journalist, not a pilot, but I'm
sitting in the captain's seat on the left side of the flight deck. Mark
Vanhoenacker, a senior first officer with British Airways, author of
air-travel books, and a columnist for the Financial Times, is in the
seat to my right.“It’s as basic as it can be,” Vanhoenacker says
casually, then pushes those four thrust levers forward with one
hand. A moment later he moves them back where they were.
“Push them forward, you go faster; pull them back, you go
slower.”