Latest news with #Sunbird
The Hindu
25-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Dr. Saji Varghese on going beyond teaching to make a social impact
The next in the monthly series by WWF-India that highlights niche and unconventional green careers through the stories of well-known personalities from the field of environment and conservation I never imagined that a casual walk across my university campus would lead to a global eco-innovation. I've been an Associate Professor of English at Christ University, Bengaluru, for over two decades. But, along the way, my passion for sustainable change nudged me beyond the classroom; into a world of agri-waste, biodegradable straws, and circular innovation. Born and raised in Maharashtra, I studied at Mt. Carmel Convent School in Chandrapur and completed my higher education at Dr Ambedkar College, Nagpur. I earned my PhD in English from Nagpur University. Teaching was something I was always drawn to, but I also carried within me a constant urge to 'do more.' While teaching at a college in a remote village in Maharashtra, I saw the stark realities of farmer suicides and poverty. I kept thinking about the children in slums who deserved a better future. That experience pushed me to ask, 'I might teach English for another 15 years, but how will I make a tangible impact on the life of at least one such child?' Turning point The spark came unexpectedly. One day, a visitor from the Netherlands mentioned how disturbing it was to see so many single-use plastic straws and how it has become a scourge to our environment. The next morning, I noticed coconut leaves littered across campus and, almost like an epiphany, it struck me. I picked one up, steamed it in my kitchen, and it clicked! The natural wax coating on the coconut leaf was perfect; it didn't need a polymer lining. That moment became the birth of Sunbird Straws, the world's first biodegradable drinking straw made from dead coconut leaves. With no lab, no funding, and just a desire to make a difference, our straws are today not only reducing plastic pollution but also supporting the livelihoods of over 200 women across India's coastal states. Sunbird is a small idea that continues to grow. Now, my mornings start at 3:30 a.m. and my 'lab' is still my kitchen. Whether it's exploring the use of pineapple leaf cuticle or pandanus leaves, I keep experimenting. At Christ University, I prepare for classes and lead the Centre for Design and Innovation for Social Entrepreneurship, where I mentor students to turn their ideas into scalable solutions. I spend my evenings at the Sunbird office, interacting and planning with our team. What excites me most is the ability to close loops: to turn waste into something of value. Discoveries that I make during my experiments promote waste to wealth, circularity, and biodiversity are helping both the environment and the lives of women in rural areas. One challenge we face is pricing. Sustainable products often cost more because they're labour-intensive. We've had to find a balance between improving efficiency and protecting the livelihoods our work supports. Every decision we make — whether it's adding a new machine or changing a material — is weighed against its social impact. To students and young innovators, my message is this: look around you. There are problems waiting for creative solutions. There's no 'right' time. You just need a critical eye and the tenacity to come up with sustainable alternatives. Innovation doesn't require a lot; sometimes, it just needs a critical mind, a coconut leaf, and a question worth chasing.
Irish Independent
24-05-2025
- Irish Independent
Nature Trail: How many kinds of wild birds can you identify?
We are all on learning curves and fortunately long gone are the days of aimlessly flicking through the pictures in a bird book hoping to find a matching mugshot of a mystery bird that you happened to get a fleeting glimpse of. The wonders of artificial intelligence (AI) are now readily available in a new app thanks to BirdWatch Ireland and Sunbird. With over 100 apps to its name, Sunbird Images are the global market leader for digital nature guides. The company has just developed and produced BirdWatch Ireland's first ever app. Called 'Birds of Ireland Field Guide', the app is available both on the Apple App Store for iOS and on the Google Play Store for Android. 492 species of wild bird have been recorded in Ireland. Well over 100 of them are common and regularly occur and all of these are featured on the new app free of charge. The others are uncommon species, unusual species, rare vagrants, and ones that may have been recorded only once. Access to these additional species can be unlocked on the app with an annual subscription The free version of the app includes high-quality identification plates, in-depth species profiles, bird names in 20 languages including Irish, a manual ID tool, a 'Similar species' tool, side-by-side comparison of up to eight species, European range maps, and the ability to create and export lists of personal sightings. The premium paid version features cutting-edge AI to identify birds by sound or photo, access to over 1,140 bird calls and songs, plus video clips showcasing typical behaviour, lifelike 3D bird models using augmented reality, egg images for all native breeding birds, custom-made Irish distribution maps, and more. The Sandeel in the bill of the bird in the image above is the give-away that tells you it is a seabird. Three marks for correctly identifying it as a tern and all six marks for knowing that it is a Roseate Tern, the rarest breeding seabird in Europe and a species that Ireland is a hotspot for.
Gizmodo
23-05-2025
- Science
- Gizmodo
Jaw-Dropping Video Shows Concept for Fusion Rocket That Might Halve Mars Travel Time
Over the past decade, a U.K.-based nuclear propulsion startup has been working behind the scenes to develop a fusion rocket that could cut flight time to Mars in half. This week, it unveiled the concept in a striking new video. The Sunbird Migratory Transfer Vehicle, designed by Pulsar Fusion, would be capable of reaching 329,000 miles per hour (over 529,000 kilometers per hour), the company claims. This would make it the fastest self-propelled object ever created, drastically reducing space travel time. Unlike current rockets that launch from terrestrial bases, Sunbirds would be stored on giant orbital docking stations each designed to host up to five at a time, Richard Dinan, CEO of Pulsar Fusion, told Gizmodo in an email. In the video, one of these rockets undocks from its station and uses its eight thrusters to gently attach to a larger spacecraft (the video portrays what appears to be a SpaceX Starship upper stage), then propel it to a faraway planet. Picture a jet pack, but for spaceships. Once it reaches the destination, Sunbird detaches and docks to an awaiting station. Such a system would allow these rockets to be used again and again, carrying spacecraft to and from deep space. The Sunbirds' unprecedented speed would be generated by their Dual Direct Fusion Drive (DDFD) engines, which the company claims will harness the power of nuclear fusion: the atomic process that powers the Sun and other stars. In theory, this type of engine could produce significantly more energy per unit of fuel than any that exist today. Pulsar Fusion says its DDFD engines are projected to produce exhaust speeds of roughly 310 miles per second (500 kilometers per second). But this technology still has a long way to go before it becomes available. The company aims to demonstrate components of its power system later this year, according to an emailed statement. The next step will be in-orbit testing, with a goal of achieving nuclear fusion in space by 2027. Getting the world's first nuclear fusion rocket off the ground in just two years is a lofty goal. But Pulsar Fusion is confident that growing interest in fusion-based propulsion will drive development forward, so to speak. Indeed, the U.S. and other global spaceflight leaders have set their own ambitious timelines for missions to the Moon and Mars. Sunbirds could quickly deliver cargo to both destinations. Pulsar Fusion expects these rockets to be able to propel 2,200 to 4,400 pounds (1,000 to 2,000 kilograms) of commercial cargo, such as habitats, rovers, or supplies to Mars in under six months, according to the company's website. Sunbirds could also be used to transport probes throughout the solar system, assist asteroid mining missions, and ferry telescopes to deep space, according to Payload. Each unit is expected to cost about $70 million upon commercial rollout, Dinan said. He believes the rocket's hefty price tag will be tempered by its 'substantial' returns, stating that customers could recoup their investment within one to two years through 'active service in orbital logistics, deep space science missions, or infrastructure deployment.' All of this hinges on rapid development and successful in-orbit testing. But if Pulsar Fusion can get its Sunbirds off the ground, our cosmic neighborhood will suddenly feel a whole lot smaller.
Newsweek
23-05-2025
- Science
- Newsweek
Nuclear Fusion Rocket May Hold the Key to Faster Travel to Mars
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Sunbird Migratory Transfer Vehicle, a nuclear fusion rocket concept by Pulsar Fusion, is designed to revolutionize the way humans travel to space, cutting in half the time it takes to get from Earth to Mars. Over the past decade, Pulsar Fusion worked to design the rocket in secret. It was publicly unveiled at the Space-Comm Expo on March 11 and has continued to make waves since. This week the company released a fresh video, an amination that shows the concept operating in space. The video features the planned rocket in action, leaving a dock and joining with a much larger spacecraft to propel the craft's journey forward at speed. Sunbird uses nuclear fusion technology for power. The International Atomic Energy Agency defines nuclear fusion as "the process by which two light atomic nuclei combine to form a single heavier one while releasing massive amounts of energy." Pulsar Fusion's nuclear fusion propulsion system was developed completely in-house by a team of scientists. Pulsar Fusion's Sunbird rocket pictured in a rendering. Pulsar Fusion's Sunbird rocket pictured in a rendering. Pulsar Fusion The company commissioned two of the largest propulsion testing chambers in the U.K. to test the technology, and it plans to expand rapidly, the company's CEO said earlier this year, emphasizing the concept's scalability. "Nuclear fusion is the pinnacle of space propulsion technology. These reactors are uniquely suited to operate in orbit, where there's no atmosphere. In many ways, it's actually more practical to use fusion for in-space propulsion than it is for energy generation on Earth," Richard Dinan, CEO of Pulsar Fusion, told Newsweek. "That said, we must pursue fusion for both energy and propulsion, and I believe humanity will ultimately succeed in both. The recent acceleration in AI capabilities have mega implications for fusion. Machine learning models help us manage ultra-hot plasmas with far greater precision, enabling reactors to become smaller, more intelligent and vastly more practical. This is an incredibly exciting time to be working in fusion," he said. Pulsar Fusion was started as Applied Fusion Systems in 2013. In 2023, the U.K. Space Agency funded its work on integrated nuclear fission power systems for electric propulsion, developed in collaboration with numerous institutions, including the University of Cambridge. Pulsar isn't the only player in the space. In 2019 the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced it was studying fusion-driven rockets (FDR), something it called "a revolutionary approach to fusion propulsion," and noting that "it is believed that the FDR can be realized with little extrapolation from currently existing technology, at high specific power, at a reasonable mass scale and therefore cost." Newsweek contacted NASA for an update on its research but did not hear back from the organization by the deadline. Pulsar Fusion's Sunbird rocket pictured in a rendering. Pulsar Fusion's Sunbird rocket pictured in a rendering. Pulsar Fusion Earth's nuclear reactors currently operate using fission. Pulsar's Sunbird uses a different fusion formula than fusion being studied for use in power plants. Large-scale nuclear fusion is thought to be a promising clean energy solution, but scientists believe that the practicality of its use on the planet is limited.
Scottish Sun
10-05-2025
- Science
- Scottish Sun
I know NASA is hiding evidence of aliens on Mars – I have photographic proof and here's why they're keeping it secret
LIFE ON MARS? I know NASA is hiding evidence of aliens on Mars – I have photographic proof and here's why they're keeping it secret Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) NASA has already found signs of alien life on Mars but is still keeping it secret, a rogue scientist claims. Barry DiGregorio, 71, believes rovers from the space agency captured snaps of alien fossils on two different occasions. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 An image of unusual formations found on Mars by Nasa's Curiosity rover in 2018 Credit: x/@marscuriosity 6 The agency said the images likely sow crystal growth Credit: x/@marscuriosity 6 But astrobiologist Barry DiGregorio believes it shows signs of alien life Credit: Supplied In 2018, Nasa's Curiosity rover took images of what it said likely show crystal growth. But DiGregorio accused Nasa of failing to investigate properly and spent two years researching the images himself. The author, who wrote Discovery on Vera Rubin Ridge, Trace Fossils on Mars, then concluded they were 'biogenic' - meaning they were produced by living organisms. He theorised Nasa was staying tight-lipped to boost interest in its hopes of sending humans to the Red Planet in the 2030s. DeGregorio, an honorary research fellow at Buckingham Centre for Astrobiology, now claims Nasa found yet more evidence of alien life on Mars. He believes images snapped by the Perseverance rover in 2020 show signs of 'worm-like' aliens who roamed its historic oceans. The astrobiologist told The Sun: 'I watched the rover coming down right on its landing site. 'You could see the engines just brushing all the dust aside for the rocks to become apparent, and the very first images it took were these rocks that had holes in them. 'Then after China's Zhurong rover mission, they published a paper where they said all the rocks that they found were of sedimentary origin, and that they formed in In water.' DiGregorio then saw a striking resemblance to the trace fossils he'd grown up studying in Lake Ontario, on the border of Canada and the US. Meet Sunbird, Britain's secret space nuke that could help us colonise Mars… or even take trips to the edge of the galaxy He added: 'It made an intriguing hypothesis because I had always been fascinated by the trace fossils around Lake Ontario, I grew up around that area. 'We didn't have dinosaur fossils, but what we did have was lots of marine fossils dating back to the Ordovician era and even before. 'The sandstones that I found on the shores of Lake Ontario I felt were a good analogy to what we were seeing on Mars. 'Now we know that those rocks there are marine sedimentary rocks, it solidifies it a bit.' And DiGregorio was so gobsmacked by the discovery he thought Nasa was preparing an announcement. But instead, he claims the rover failed to properly examine the rocks. He continued: 'So the fact that the Perseverance rover landed right on top of similar rocks was almost too much to bear. 'When I saw those rocks all over the place, I'm going, 'what? Oh my God'. 6 Images snapped by Nasa's Perseverance rover in 2020 Credit: 6 DiGregorio believes they show signs of 'worm-like' aliens who roamed its historic ocean Credit: 'I thought, for sure, Nasa is going to make a big announcement. 'And instead, what they did was they headed towards the opposite direction. So they didn't really analyse those rocks at all.' DiGregorio doesn't believe the images point to an alien civilisation, the kind that might be drawn up in a sci-fi film. But he does believe they were jellyfish-type figures that could move around. He added: 'The holes in the rocks tell me the story that bigger organisms were there, but they were essentially marine organisms. 'So wormy things, maybe fish, possibly jellyfish, really ancient type things that moved around. 'I'm thinking wormy-type things that were around during the Ediacaran period. 'Then the climate on Mars changed and the atmosphere changed. 'The water probably got absorbed into the soil and a lot of it left through the atmosphere due to the solar wind.' Mars facts Here's what you need to know about the red planet... Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun It is named after the Roman god of war The landmass of Mars is very similar to Earth, but due to the difference in gravity, you could jump three times higher there than you can here. Mars is mountainous and hosts the tallest mountain known in the Solar System called Olympus Mons, which is three times higher than Everest Mars is considered the second most habitable planet after Earth. It takes the planet 687 Earth days to orbit the Sun The planet has a diameter of 4,212 miles, and has an average distance from Earth of 140 million miles Martian temperatures can vary wildly, reaching as high as 70F/20C or as low as -225F/-153C Nasa said after the Perseverance mission that the findings couldn't be fully analysed because sending the appropriate equipment was too complicated. But the agency is planning a sample return mission based on its findings, and did not rule out the possibility of the Perseverance photos pointing to signs of alien life. Yet asked why Nasa would continue to conceal everything it knows about the images, DiGregorio theorised it was because of the potential dangers to astronauts. Mars has an incredibly hostile environment compared to Earth. It fluctuates between extreme temperatures, and has a surface level radiation that would be incredibly harmful to humans. DiGregorio added: 'I think that they don't want to say anything about it because of the fact they are sending humans there. 'If you have microbes on Mars, and they say we've discovered life on Mars, it could be different to Earth life and could be toxic or dangerous to human astronauts. That's what I think it is.' According to Nasa's website, it hopes they will send humans to Mars in the 2030s. A Nasa spokesman, responding to DiGregorio's claims, told The Sun one of the agency's goals is to "understand whether Mars has, or ever has had life, and any credible evidence of potential past life." They insisted the agency will "continue to investigate the best of our ability". The spokesman added: "During its exploration of the Martian surface, Perseverance has encountered many interesting rock features, and the science team has determined which rocks are worth further investigation, and even sampling, based on all of the available data. "To date, NASA has yet to find any credible evidence of extraterrestrial life. "Our exploration of Mars also has to led to many images that evoke our natural curiosity and creativity of interpretation. 6 "Our science teams spend many hours debating what may have formed these visual features, while bringing to bear all of the additional information afforded by our incredibly outfitted rovers and orbiters. "While the science community continues to theorise these images point to possible crystal growth, Nasa's science missions are working together with a goal to find unmistakable signs of life beyond Earth." It comes after Nasa admitted a mysterious hole on Mars could be harbouring alien life in an extensive network of underground tunnels, From orbit, scientists have captured a deep pit on the Red Planet that looks like it leads underground. The image, titled "An unusual hole in Mars," shows a pockmarked planet that could be hiding tons of subterranean pockets. "There are numerous holes pictured in this Swiss cheese-like landscape, with all-but-one of them showing a dusty, dark, Martian terrain beneath evaporating, light, carbon dioxide ice," Nasa wrote. "The most unusual hole is on the upper right, spans about 100 meters, and seems to punch through to a lower level." It's unclear what caused the hole. Though scientists assume the circular crater that surrounds it suggests it was created by a meteor impact. "Holes such as this are of particular interest because they might be portals to lower levels that extend into expansive underground caves," Nasa explained. "If so, these naturally occurring tunnels are relatively protected from the harsh surface of Mars, making them relatively good candidates to contain Martian life. "These pits are therefore also prime targets for possible future spacecraft, robots, and even human interplanetary explorers."
