Latest news with #DefenseAdvancedResearchProjectsAgency
Sustainability Times
15-07-2025
- Sustainability Times
'America Just Leveled Up': Bell's New 517 MPH Tiltrotor X-Plane Will Redefine War Machines and Leave Rivals in the Dust
IN A NUTSHELL 🚁 The US military aims to revolutionize aviation with the SPRINT X-Plane, enhancing speed and versatility with Bell Textron at the helm. 🌐 The new X-plane will outpace the current V-22 Osprey, cruising at speeds between 460 to 517 miles per hour and providing strategic advantages. 🔧 Bell Textron leverages its extensive experience in X-plane development, showcasing innovations like stop/fold technology and integrated propulsion systems. and integrated propulsion systems. 💡 This program highlights the US military's commitment to maintaining a global edge, ensuring readiness in an evolving geopolitical landscape. The recent selection of Bell Textron by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for the development of an advanced tiltrotor aircraft marks a significant leap in military aviation technology. This ambitious project, known as the SPRINT X-Plane program, is set to revolutionize the capabilities of rotorcraft with its impressive speed and adaptability. The X-plane, with its ability to cruise at speeds between 460 to 517 miles per hour, promises to enhance the operational prowess of the US armed forces. As we delve deeper into this development, we explore the potential impacts and technological advancements that this program heralds. The Evolution of US Tiltrotor Aircraft The decision by DARPA to pursue the development and testing of the X-plane demonstrator is a testament to the US military's commitment to advancing its aerial capabilities. Currently, the V-22 Osprey serves as a cornerstone in the fleet of US rotorcraft, combining helicopter-like vertical takeoff with airplane-like speed. However, the X-plane aims to transcend the limits of existing technology by offering superior speed and versatility. The V-22 Osprey, renowned for its unique tiltrotor design, can achieve speeds of up to 351 miles per hour. Its ability to lift vertically and fold its rotors for storage makes it ideal for operations from aircraft carriers and assault ships. Despite these advantages, the Osprey has faced scrutiny due to safety concerns and accidents. The X-plane, however, seeks to address these issues while delivering enhanced performance. 'This Miracle Device Will Save Millions': MIT Scientists Unleash High-Flow Solar Desalinator Flooding Communities With Gallons of Pure Freshwater Every Hour Notably, the US has been joined by Japan in deploying Ospreys, as evidenced by Japan's recent establishment of a base to counter regional threats. Yet, the X-plane program is poised to eclipse the capabilities of existing aircraft, offering a transformative leap in military aviation technology. Bell Textron's Role in the SPRINT X-Plane Program The collaboration between DARPA and Bell Textron is pivotal to the success of the SPRINT X-Plane program. This initiative, a joint effort with the US Special Operations Command, underscores the importance of innovations in military aviation. The program's first phase, initiated in November 2023, laid the groundwork for subsequent advancements, with Bell securing a contract for phase 1B alongside Aurora Flight Sciences. 'Ferrari's Green Revolution Stuns the Seas': This Eco-Friendly Yacht Breaks Speed Barriers While Redefining Luxury for the Super-Rich In July 2025, DARPA entrusted Bell with the crucial phase two of the SPRINT program, which involves detailed design and construction of the X-plane. This phase marks a significant milestone in Bell's journey, as the company seeks to demonstrate its groundbreaking stop/fold technology. Jason Hurst, Bell's Senior Vice President of Engineering, expressed the company's enthusiasm for this opportunity, highlighting its longstanding commitment to X-plane development. Bell's comprehensive risk reduction activities, including folding rotor demonstrations and wind tunnel testing, underscore the technical rigor and expertise brought to this project. These efforts align with Bell's legacy of innovation, promising to deliver a state-of-the-art aircraft to the US military. 'Underwater Jetpack Shocked My Expectations': XiaoTun's $1,374 Kickstarter Device Makes High-Speed Ocean Exploration Possible for First-Time Adventurers Technological Innovations and Strategic Implications The SPRINT X-Plane program is characterized by its ambitious technological innovations. The integration of stop/fold technology allows for unprecedented flexibility in rotorcraft operations, enabling the X-plane to operate effectively in diverse environments. Additionally, the aircraft's speed and hover capabilities offer strategic advantages, enhancing mission success in challenging conditions. These technological advancements are not merely theoretical; Bell's successful tests with a virtual aircraft prototype for the US Army's Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program underscore the practical applicability of these innovations. As the project progresses, the X-plane is poised to redefine the boundaries of military aviation, providing the US armed forces with an unparalleled tactical edge. The implications of this program extend beyond mere technological advancements. The X-plane's capabilities reinforce the US military's global presence, ensuring readiness and adaptability in an ever-evolving geopolitical landscape. As international tensions persist, the strategic importance of such advancements cannot be overstated. The Future of Military Aviation The development of the SPRINT X-Plane heralds a new era in military aviation, characterized by speed, versatility, and technological sophistication. As Bell Textron collaborates with DARPA to bring this vision to fruition, the potential impacts on the US armed forces are profound. With the ability to operate effectively in harsh environments and at unprecedented speeds, the X-plane represents a significant leap forward in aerial warfare capabilities. As the program advances, questions about the future of military aviation emerge. How will the integration of such advanced technology shape military strategies and tactics? What new opportunities and challenges will arise as a result of this groundbreaking development? As we look to the future, the answers to these questions will undoubtedly define the next chapter in military aviation history. This article is based on verified sources and supported by editorial technologies. Did you like it? 4.6/5 (20)
Time of India
04-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Human urine can turn into this useful material. See what is it and how do scientists make this science wonder happen
Human urine can now be transformed into hydroxyapatite , a mineral found in bones and teeth as scientists have come up with a method. Funded by DARPA, this research uses genetically modified yeast to carry out the conversion. The process is efficient, environmentally useful, and could offer cost-effective materials for medical and industrial use. Human Urine Transforms into Bone-Like Material Researchers funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) have turned human urine into hydroxyapatite. This mineral is a key component of bones and teeth. The work was published in Nature Communications on May 6. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Hydroxyapatite is useful in medical implants because it is naturally found in the body. It is not usually rejected by the immune system. However, producing it in the lab is often costly and may involve toxic chemicals. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Llegan a RD cursos gratuitos para aprender a invertir en la bolsa de valores Clases de Economía Undo Also Read: Is Starbucks open or closed today on 4th of July? Check timings of stores on US Independence Day What Makes Human Urine Transformation Happen? Scientists used a yeast species called Saccharomyces boulardii. This yeast is usually found on the skin of tropical fruits and is used as a probiotic. Live Events The team genetically altered the yeast to break down urea from urine. Urea is a waste product formed when the body breaks down protein. The yeast, now called "osteoyeast," can turn the urea into hydroxyapatite. One liter of urine can produce about one gram of the mineral. This conversion happens in less than one day. Environmental and Commercial Benefits According to co-author David Kisailus from the University of California, Irvine, the process solves two problems. It removes urine from wastewater, helping the environment. It also creates a useful material. Hydroxyapatite made this way can be used in bone and dental implants. It may also serve other industries. These include archaeological restoration, biodegradable plastic alternatives, and construction materials. Also Read: NYT Mini Crossword Hints Today, July 4 2025: Answers, clues and tips to help save your winning streak Scalable and Low-Cost Production The process is simple and does not need advanced infrastructure. The yeast grows at low temperatures in large vats, similar to beer fermentation. This makes the method cheap and scalable. It can be used even in developing countries. The researchers are working on ways to expand the method. They want to use it to 3D print hydroxyapatite materials. These could be applied in implants, buildings, and other areas. Future Plans and Applications With the method now tested, scientists plan to scale it up. They aim to apply it in multiple industries. The team is looking into making energy-efficient, cost-effective materials that are also biodegradable. This discovery could help both the environment and industries that rely on strong, natural materials. It could also open new paths for medical and manufacturing advances. FAQs How does yeast convert urine into bone mineral? Yeast breaks down urea from urine and releases hydroxyapatite, the same mineral found in human bones and teeth. What are the uses of hydroxyapatite made from urine? It can be used for implants, biodegradable plastics, archaeological restoration, and eco-friendly construction materials.
Business Insider
27-06-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
AeroVironment's Wildcat reaches key milestones in EVADE demonstration
The company states: 'AeroVironment (AVAV) announced that its Wildcat uncrewed aircraft system has achieved a series of development milestones in support of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's, DARPA, Early VTOL Aircraft Demonstration. Wildcat has successfully completed VTOL-to-forward-flight transitions, validated its core flight and propulsion systems, and begun integrating critical mission payloads-demonstrating rapid progress toward an operationally relevant capability. Wildcat is a Group 3, tail-sitting vertical take-off and landing aircraft designed for launch and recovery from ship decks in denied and distributed maritime environments. Its compact footprint, autonomous launch and recovery, and robust flight performance across high sea states make it a flexible and scalable solution for contested littoral operations.' Confident Investing Starts Here:
The Star
24-06-2025
- Science
- The Star
Can AI quicken the pace of math discovery?
Artificial intelligence can write a poem in the style of Walt Whitman, provide dating advice and suggest the best way to cook an artichoke. But when it comes to mathematics, large language models like OpenAI's immensely popular ChatGPT have sometimes stumbled over basic problems. Some see this as an inherent limitation of the technology, especially when it comes to complex reasoning. A new initiative from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency seeks to account for that shortfall by enlisting researchers in finding ways to conduct high-level mathematics research with an AI 'co-author.' The goal of the new grant-making program, Exponentiating Mathematics, is to speed up the pace of progress in pure (as opposed to applied) math – and, in doing so, to turn AI into a superlative mathematician. 'Mathematics is this great test bed for what is right now the key pain point for AI systems,' said Patrick Shafto, a Rutgers University mathematician and computer scientist who now serves as a program manager in DARPA's information innovation office, known as I20. 'So if we overcome that, potentially, it would unleash much more powerful AI.' He added, 'There's huge potential benefit to the community of mathematicians and to society at large.' Shafto spoke from his office at DARPA's headquarters, an anonymous building in northern Virginia whose facade of bluish glass gives little indication that it houses one of the most unusual agencies in the federal government. Inside the building's airy lobby, visitors surrender their cellphones. Near a bank of chairs, a glass display shows a prosthetic arm that can be controlled by the wearer's brain signals. 'By improving mathematics, we're also understanding how AI works better,' said Alondra Nelson, who served as a top science adviser in President Joe Biden's administration and is a faculty member at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. 'So I think it's kind of a virtuous cycle of understanding.' She suggested that, down the road, math-adept AI could enhance cryptography and aid in space exploration. Started after World War II to compete with the Soviet Union in the space race, DARPA is most famous for fostering the research that led to the creation of ARPANET, the precursor to the internet we use today. At the agency's small gift store, which is not accessible to the public, one can buy replicas of a cocktail napkin on which someone sketched out the rudimentary state of computer networks in 1969. DARPA later funded the research that gave rise to drones and Apple's digital assistant, Siri. But it is also responsible for the development of Agent Orange, the potent defoliant used to devastating effect during the Vietnam War. 'I'm sure this isn't 100% innocent,' Andrew Granville, a mathematician at the University of Montreal, said of DARPA's math initiative, although he emphasised that he was only speculating about eventual outcomes. DARPA is, after all, part of the Pentagon, even if it has traditionally operated with enviable independence. The US military is rapidly incorporating AI into its operations, with the aim of not losing out to China and its People's Liberation Army or to Russia, which has been testing out new technologies on the battlefield in Ukraine. At the same time, Granville praised the endeavour, which comes as the Trump administration is cutting funding for scientific research. 'We are in disastrous times for US science,' Granville said. 'I'm very pleased that DARPA is able to funnel money to academia.' A surfer and skateboarder in his free time, Shafto, 49, sat in a sparse conference room one recent afternoon, imagining a future when AI would be as good at solving multistep problems as it is at trying to glean meaning from huge troves of texts, which it does through the use of probability theory. Despite the unseasonably raw weather, Shafto seemed dressed for the beach in a blue-and-white Hawaiian-style shirt, white flannel trousers and sandals, with a trilby hat on the table before him. His vibe was, on the whole, decidedly closer to that of Santa Cruz than of Capitol Hill, largely in keeping with DARPA's traditional disregard for the capital's slow, bureaucratic pace. (The agency sets priorities and funds outside scientists but does not do research on its own; academics like Shafto spend an average of four years as program managers.) 'There are great mathematicians who work on age-old problems,' Shafto said. 'That's not the kind of thing that I'm particularly interested in.' Instead, he wanted the discipline to move more quickly by using AI to save time. 'Problems in mathematics take decades or centuries, sometimes, to solve,' he said in a recent presentation at DARPA's headquarters on the Exponentiating Mathematics project, which is accepting applications through mid-July. He then shared a slide showing that, in terms of the number of papers published, math had stagnated during the last century while life and technical sciences had exploded. In case the point wasn't clear, the slide's heading drove it home: 'Math is sloooowwww. …' The kind of pure math Shafto wants to accelerate tends to be 'sloooowwww' because it is not seeking numerical solutions to concrete problems, the way applied mathematics does. Instead, pure math is the heady domain of visionary theoreticians who make audacious observations about how the world works, which are promptly scrutinised (and sometimes torn apart) by their peers. 'Proof is king,' Granville said. Math proofs consist of multiple building blocks called lemmas, minor theorems employed to prove bigger ones. Whether each Jenga tower of lemmas can maintain integrity in the face of intense scrutiny is precisely what makes pure math such a 'long and laborious process,' acknowledged Bryna R. Kra, a mathematician at Northwestern University. 'All of math builds on previous math, so you can't really prove new things if you don't understand how to prove the old things,' she said. 'To be a research mathematician, the current practice is that you go through every step, you prove every single detail.' Lean, a software-based proof assistant, can speed up the process, but Granville said it was 'annoying, because it has its own protocols and language,' requiring programming expertise. 'We need to have a much better way of communication,' he added. Could artificial intelligence save the day? That's the hope, according to Shafto. An AI model that could reliably check proofs would save enormous amounts of time, freeing mathematicians to be more creative. 'The constancy of math coincides with the fact that we practice math more or less the same: still people standing at a chalkboard,' Shafto said. 'It's hard not to draw the correlation and say, 'Well, you know, maybe if we had better tools, that would change progress.'' AI would benefit, too, Shafto and others believe. Large language models like ChatGPT can scour the digitised storehouses of human knowledge to produce a half-convincing college essay on the Russian Revolution. But thinking through the many intricate steps of a mathematical problem remains elusive. 'I think we'll learn a lot about what the capabilities of various AI protocols are from how well we can get them to generate material that's of interest,' said Jordan S. Ellenberg, a mathematician at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who is part of a team applying for an Exponentiating Mathematics grant. 'We have no intuition yet about which problems are going to be hard and which problems are easy. We need to learn that.' One of the more disconcerting truths about artificial intelligence is that we do not entirely understand how it works. 'This lack of understanding is essentially unprecedented in the history of technology,' Dario Amodei, CEO of the artificial intelligence company Anthropic, wrote in a recent essay. Ellenberg somewhat downplayed that assertion, pointing out that electricity was widely used before its properties were fully understood. Then again, with some AI experts worrying that artificial intelligence could destroy the world, any clarity into its operations tends to be welcome. Nelson, the former White House adviser, acknowledged 'legitimate' concerns about the rapid pace at which artificial intelligence is being integrated into seemingly every sector of society. All the more reason, she argued, to have DARPA on the case. 'There's a much higher benchmark that needs to be reached than whether or not your chatbot is hallucinating if you ask it a question about Shakespeare,' she said. 'The stakes are much higher.' – ©2025 The New York Times Company This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Indian Express
22-06-2025
- Science
- Indian Express
Can AI quicken the pace of math discovery?
Artificial intelligence can write a poem in the style of Walt Whitman, provide dating advice and suggest the best way to cook an artichoke. But when it comes to mathematics, large language models like OpenAI's immensely popular ChatGPT have sometimes stumbled over basic problems. Some see this as an inherent limitation of the technology, especially when it comes to complex reasoning. A new initiative from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency seeks to account for that shortfall by enlisting researchers in finding ways to conduct high-level mathematics research with an AI 'co-author.' The goal of the new grant-making program, Exponentiating Mathematics, is to speed up the pace of progress in pure (as opposed to applied) math — and, in doing so, to turn AI into a superlative mathematician. 'Mathematics is this great test bed for what is right now the key pain point for AI systems,' said Patrick Shafto, a Rutgers University mathematician and computer scientist who now serves as a program manager in DARPA's information innovation office, known as I20. 'So if we overcome that, potentially, it would unleash much more powerful AI.' He added, 'There's huge potential benefit to the community of mathematicians and to society at large.' Shafto spoke from his office at DARPA's headquarters, an anonymous building in northern Virginia whose facade of bluish glass gives little indication that it houses one of the most unusual agencies in the federal government. Inside the building's airy lobby, visitors surrender their cellphones. Near a bank of chairs, a glass display shows a prosthetic arm that can be controlled by the wearer's brain signals. 'By improving mathematics, we're also understanding how AI works better,' said Alondra Nelson, who served as a top science adviser in President Joe Biden's administration and is a faculty member at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. 'So I think it's kind of a virtuous cycle of understanding.' She suggested that, down the road, math-adept AI could enhance cryptography and aid in space exploration. Started after World War II to compete with the Soviet Union in the space race, DARPA is most famous for fostering the research that led to the creation of ARPANET, the precursor to the internet we use today. At the agency's small gift store, which is not accessible to the public, one can buy replicas of a cocktail napkin on which someone sketched out the rudimentary state of computer networks in 1969. DARPA later funded the research that gave rise to drones and Apple's digital assistant, Siri. But it is also responsible for the development of Agent Orange, the potent defoliant used to devastating effect during the Vietnam War. 'I'm sure this isn't 100% innocent,' Andrew Granville, a mathematician at the University of Montreal, said of DARPA's math initiative, although he emphasized that he was only speculating about eventual outcomes. DARPA is, after all, part of the Pentagon, even if it has traditionally operated with enviable independence. The U.S. military is rapidly incorporating AI into its operations, with the aim of not losing out to China and its People's Liberation Army or to Russia, which has been testing out new technologies on the battlefield in Ukraine. At the same time, Granville praised the endeavor, which comes as the Trump administration is cutting funding for scientific research. 'We are in disastrous times for U.S. science,' Granville said. 'I'm very pleased that DARPA is able to funnel money to academia.' A surfer and skateboarder in his free time, Shafto, 49, sat in a sparse conference room one recent afternoon, imagining a future when AI would be as good at solving multistep problems as it is at trying to glean meaning from huge troves of texts, which it does through the use of probability theory. Despite the unseasonably raw weather, Shafto seemed dressed for the beach in a blue-and-white Hawaiian-style shirt, white flannel trousers and sandals, with a trilby hat on the table before him. His vibe was, on the whole, decidedly closer to that of Santa Cruz than of Capitol Hill, largely in keeping with DARPA's traditional disregard for the capital's slow, bureaucratic pace. (The agency sets priorities and funds outside scientists but does not do research on its own; academics like Shafto spend an average of four years as program managers.) 'There are great mathematicians who work on age-old problems,' Shafto said. 'That's not the kind of thing that I'm particularly interested in.' Instead, he wanted the discipline to move more quickly by using AI to save time. 'Problems in mathematics take decades or centuries, sometimes, to solve,' he said in a recent presentation at DARPA's headquarters on the Exponentiating Mathematics project, which is accepting applications through mid-July. He then shared a slide showing that, in terms of the number of papers published, math had stagnated during the last century while life and technical sciences had exploded. In case the point wasn't clear, the slide's heading drove it home: 'Math is sloooowwww. …' The kind of pure math Shafto wants to accelerate tends to be 'sloooowwww' because it is not seeking numerical solutions to concrete problems, the way applied mathematics does. Instead, pure math is the heady domain of visionary theoreticians who make audacious observations about how the world works, which are promptly scrutinized (and sometimes torn apart) by their peers. 'Proof is king,' Granville said. Math proofs consist of multiple building blocks called lemmas, minor theorems employed to prove bigger ones. Whether each Jenga tower of lemmas can maintain integrity in the face of intense scrutiny is precisely what makes pure math such a 'long and laborious process,' acknowledged Bryna R. Kra, a mathematician at Northwestern University. 'All of math builds on previous math, so you can't really prove new things if you don't understand how to prove the old things,' she said. 'To be a research mathematician, the current practice is that you go through every step, you prove every single detail.' Lean, a software-based proof assistant, can speed up the process, but Granville said it was 'annoying, because it has its own protocols and language,' requiring programming expertise. 'We need to have a much better way of communication,' he added. Could artificial intelligence save the day? That's the hope, according to Shafto. An AI model that could reliably check proofs would save enormous amounts of time, freeing mathematicians to be more creative. 'The constancy of math coincides with the fact that we practice math more or less the same: still people standing at a chalkboard,' Shafto said. 'It's hard not to draw the correlation and say, 'Well, you know, maybe if we had better tools, that would change progress.'' AI would benefit, too, Shafto and others believe. Large language models like ChatGPT can scour the digitized storehouses of human knowledge to produce a half-convincing college essay on the Russian Revolution. But thinking through the many intricate steps of a mathematical problem remains elusive. 'I think we'll learn a lot about what the capabilities of various AI protocols are from how well we can get them to generate material that's of interest,' said Jordan S. Ellenberg, a mathematician at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who is part of a team applying for an Exponentiating Mathematics grant. 'We have no intuition yet about which problems are going to be hard and which problems are easy. We need to learn that.' One of the more disconcerting truths about artificial intelligence is that we do not entirely understand how it works. 'This lack of understanding is essentially unprecedented in the history of technology,' Dario Amodei, CEO of the artificial intelligence company Anthropic, wrote in a recent essay. Ellenberg somewhat downplayed that assertion, pointing out that electricity was widely used before its properties were fully understood. Then again, with some AI experts worrying that artificial intelligence could destroy the world, any clarity into its operations tends to be welcome. Nelson, the former White House adviser, acknowledged 'legitimate' concerns about the rapid pace at which artificial intelligence is being integrated into seemingly every sector of society. All the more reason, she argued, to have DARPA on the case. 'There's a much higher benchmark that needs to be reached than whether or not your chatbot is hallucinating if you ask it a question about Shakespeare,' she said. 'The stakes are much higher.'
