Important Innovations

World's 1st   Parachute Jump from a Solar-Powered Plane Source:  SolarStratos Flying on Sunshine, Parachuting Through the Air It's the world's first solar skydive.  Parachutist/pilot/adventurer Raphael Domjan safely completed the world's first jump from a solar powered, electric plane over Switzerland.  The plane soared to an altitude of 5,000 feet.  In his descent, Domjan reaches speeds of 93 mph (150 kilometers per hour).  The flight and dive were designed to showcase the power and potential of solar, electric powered aircraft. SolarStratos Project Domjan is the founder of the SolarStratos project, which organized the historic Solar SkyDive.  He co-piloted the plane during its ascent.  He is the first parachutist to jump from an electric plane.  He believes that flying in green, electric planes will change forever the future of the sport for skydivers.   Next Takeoffs In 2022, the SolarStratos team hopes to make more history.  They aim to fly a solar powered, electric

  From the Netherlands, a Long Range, Solar E-Car Source:  Lightyear One Lightyear One Dutch automaker Lightyear has invented the Lightyear One - an all electric car powered by solar energy.  It's expected to hit the market in 2021.  It's the world's first, long range, solar powered, electric car.  A prototype has been released and mass production and deliveries will start in 2021.  The company says this car will provide the driver with 100% clean energy.  The asking price is $165,000. Long Range & Electric Plug-In Option The car's 4 electric engines are powered by a custom built 60 kWh battery pack. The Lightyear One is covered with 16 sq. feet of integrated solar cells that are encased in safety glass to protect them from damage.  The sun's solar energy can serve as the only energy source.  But, t he car also packs an electric plug-in option as an alternative energy source. A single overnight plug in charge provides 450 mile range. The plug-in enables up to 60

2 NASA Astronauts Safely Return to Earth Source:  NASA - Crew Dragon onboard SpaceX Rescue Ship SpaceX Founder Elon Musk's Magnificent Accomplishment For the 2 brave astronauts, Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken, who took the ride of their lives on the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and hurtled into space onboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft to the ISS in May, it is now mission accomplished. They made it safely back to Earth today, having accomplished the first private space mission with US astronauts launched from the US into space for NASA.  They've made history. Perhaps NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine put it best calling the mission "the next era in human spaceflight", as NASA will be purchasing space rides from SpaceX.  For SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk, this is a huge accomplishment that he says he wasn't sure he could do when he founded SpaceX in 2002.  He kept on perfecting his rocket science technology and he did it with a great victory today. SpaceX Victories For E

$39 Million Xenos in a Class of its Own Source:  Lazzarini Design Studios Ready to Serve as Your Next Ferry Ride This may be the superyacht of all yachts.  It's the $39 million Xenos that can hit 100 mph and comes with a complementary $3 million Bugatti Chiron, which is one of the fastest and most powerful cars in the world.  Interestingly, the superyacht is loaded with integrated solar panels to incorporate a more green performance.  And it can function as a superfast ferry with plane-like seating for 180 passengers.  This is travel innovation from the Italy based Lazzarini Design Studio.  Designer Pierpaolo Lazzarini calls it a hyperyacht, that comes in both standard and hydrofoil versions. Lots of Tech At the top model level, the Xenos packs 15,000 horsepower and can hit speeds of 90 knots, making it the fastest ship in its category of 130 feet in length and 28 feet in width.  It's made of carbon and aluminum/steel with solar panels on the roof.  The vessel is loaded with an

Two Hotels Are Being Used to Quarantine & Treat Patients Source:  Pepper on Duty at Robot Hotel for COVID Patients with Mild Symptoms Staffed by Robots, Doctors and Nurses For COVID patients with mild or no symptoms, Tokyo has opened two robot hotels to take the load off of hospitals.  The hotels are staffed by robots, doctors and nurses.  With a capacity to handle 2800 patient-guests, they are being used as an innovative means to quarantine and  treat COVID patients. Pepper and Company The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has taken charge of the two hotels.  Very popular humanoid robot Pepper is at the hotels to greet the arriving guests with positive messaging: "Let's bring our hearts together and get through this."  Cleaning robots are deployed to clean what the Japanese are calling "high risk red zones". Safer Than Home The Tokyo government feels it's safer for the mildly ill COVID patients to stay at the hotels, which are loaded with technolog

FDA Okays Gilead's Remdesivir Drug Source:  Gilead Sciences Remdesivir Good News in COVID-19 Fight Finally, some good news to report on the war against COVID-19.  The US Food and Drug Administration has given emergency approval to Gilead Sciences' remdesivir drug to treat  patients with the coronavirus.  President Donald Trump made the announcement. Gilead CEO Daniel O'Day promised that the company is going to donate one  million vials of the drug for treating  patients. Results Tell the Story The FDA emergency order means that doctors can use the drug even though it hasn't gone through the FDA's formal, time-consuming approval process.  The results on this unique drug tell the story. An independent analysis by the US National  Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases showed that COVID patients who took the drug usually recovered after 11 days. That is 4 days earlier than patients not given the drug.   More Compelling Results Gilead's own study s

MIT Scientists' Antibiotic Breakthrough Source: AI enabled molecule research stock image Drug Kills Antibiotic Resistant, Killer Bacteria MIT scientists have achieved a world first.  They've used artificial intelligence (AI) to discover what may be the world's most powerful antibiotic.  The power and promise of the drug is its ability to fight the growing global epidemic of deadly bacteria  resistant to antibiotics.  The World Health Organization calls these bacteria one of the biggest threats to global health.  The MIT discovered molecule kills antibiotic resistant, killer bacteria. Machine Learning Algorithm The key to the MIT team's success is artificial intelligence and the powerful algorithm they created.  The MIT scientists say the algorithm was inspired by the architecture of the human brain.  The algorithm analyzed millions of chemical compounds and thousands of drugs to identify those with enough attributes to kill e-coli.  Through the p