Electric Flying Taxis Face Turbulence Amid Financial and Technical Challenges

Published

1 month ago

November 15, 2024

RTX

Efforts to revolutionize urban air transport with electric flying taxis are hitting significant headwinds as key players in the industry face mounting financial pressures and technical challenges.

Among the most high-profile setbacks is the case of Volocopter, the German firm that had promised to debut its two-seater electric aircraft, the VoloCity, at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Instead of ferrying passengers, Volocopter was limited to demonstration flights, as the company scrambled behind the scenes to secure funding.

Failed attempts to secure a €100 million loan from the German government have pushed Volocopter to rely on Chinese automaker Geely, which is in talks to acquire an 85% stake in exchange for $95 million in funding. If finalized, the deal may see manufacturing shift to China, raising questions about the future of Volocopter’s operations in Europe.

Financial Struggles Across the Industry

The financial hurdles facing Volocopter are not unique. German EVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) company Lilium, known for its innovative jet-powered aircraft, entered insolvency proceedings in November after failing to secure a €100 million loan from Germany’s development bank. Despite boasting ambitious plans for 780 orders globally and €1.5 billion in previous funding, Lilium’s efforts to bring its radical designs to market have stalled.

Lilium is now seeking restructuring options, but its goal of beginning full-scale testing by 2025 appears increasingly uncertain.

Meanwhile, the UK-based Vertical Aerospace, led by OVO Energy founder Stephen Fitzpatrick, faces its own challenges. The company’s VX4 aircraft has shown promise, completing piloted tests and achieving its first untethered takeoff and landing in November. Yet setbacks, including a 2022 crash and the withdrawal of Rolls-Royce from a key supply deal, have compounded financial strain.

Vertical Aerospace is in talks with financier Jason Mudrick, whose firm has proposed a $75 million investment. While the deal could secure the company’s immediate future, it risks stripping Fitzpatrick of control.

A Glimpse of Stability

Amid the uncertainty, Airbus’s CityAirbus NextGen project appears to be on solid footing. The four-seater EVTOL aircraft, backed by Airbus’s deep resources and technical expertise, is on track to become a reality. Similarly, well-funded US companies like Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation are progressing steadily toward production.

Questions About Profitability

Even as EVTOL companies inch closer to delivering their aircraft, profitability remains a looming challenge. Initial routes are expected to connect airports to city centers, but operational costs, particularly for pilots and batteries, cast doubt on their commercial viability.

Bjorn Fehrm, an aerospace consultant and former Swedish Air Force pilot, suggests the industry’s enthusiasm stems from the allure of pioneering technology. “No one wanted to miss out on the next Tesla,” he remarks.

As the sector grapples with turbulence, the promise of quiet, efficient urban air travel hangs in the balance.

Technology

Two-Year-Old Boy Cancer-Free After Groundbreaking Treatment in North London

Published

1 day ago

December 28, 2024

RTX

A two-year-old boy from North London has become the youngest person to be treated for cancer using Nanoknife technology, and he is now cancer-free.

George, from Camden, was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), a rare and aggressive form of soft tissue cancer, in his liver and bile duct during the summer of 2023. His father, Jonathan, recalled the moment of the diagnosis as devastating. “I will never forget that moment,” Jonathan said. “It felt like my entire world had collapsed.”

After undergoing three rounds of chemotherapy, George was treated with Nanoknife technology at King’s College Hospital. This pioneering treatment uses electrical currents to target and destroy cancerous tissue. Surgeons successfully removed the tumor from George’s liver, ensuring clear margins around the affected area.

Jonathan expressed his relief and joy, saying, “The surgeons managed to remove all the tumor, and had clear margins all the way around the removed section of his liver. This was the news we’d been hoping and praying for.” He added that from the moment George was diagnosed, he and his family worked tirelessly to ensure their son received the best possible treatment. “We loved that the Nanoknife was something new and groundbreaking, and we felt we had some input into making it happen.”

Eighteen months after his initial diagnosis, George is now cancer-free and began attending nursery school in September. His recovery has been celebrated as a remarkable success, and he was recently awarded the Cancer Research UK for Children & Young People Star Award for his bravery throughout the treatment process.

George’s story highlights the potential of innovative medical technologies in the fight against cancer, offering hope to families facing similar challenges. The use of Nanoknife technology marks a significant step forward in the treatment of pediatric cancers, with George serving as a testament to the possibilities of new, life-saving treatments.

The family’s journey, while marked by fear and uncertainty, has ended on a hopeful note, with George’s future brighter than ever.

Technology

Scientists Explore the Mystery of the Sun’s Lost Companion Star

Published

3 days ago

December 26, 2024

RTX

Our Sun, the central star of our Solar System, is somewhat of an anomaly in the Milky Way galaxy, where binary star systems—pairs of stars that orbit each other—are quite common. However, recent research suggests that the Sun may have once had a companion, a partner it has since lost to time. The big question now is: where did it go?

The Sun, orbiting in one of the Milky Way’s spiral arms, takes about 230 million years to make a full orbit around the galaxy. While it currently drifts alone, the nearest star to the Sun, Proxima Centauri, is located 4.2 light-years away—a distance so vast it would take thousands of years for even the fastest spacecraft to reach.

However, scientists are increasingly recognizing that most stars, unlike the Sun, form in pairs. In fact, binary star systems are so prevalent that some astrophysicists suggest that all stars may have originally formed as binary pairs. This leads to an intriguing question: could our Sun have once been part of such a system, only to lose its companion long ago?

Gongjie Li, an astronomer at the Georgia Institute of Technology, says it is certainly a possibility. “It’s very interesting,” he noted, pointing out that the absence of a companion star likely spared Earth from gravitational disruptions that might have made life on our planet impossible.

The idea that stars form in pairs is supported by recent findings. Sarah Sadavoy, an astrophysicist at Queen’s University in Canada, has shown that the process of star formation often leads to the creation of multiple stars. Her 2017 research indicated that star-forming regions, like the Perseus molecular cloud, preferentially create pairs of stars. However, not all stars in these systems remain together; some break apart within a million years.

If our Sun had a companion star, it likely would have had significant effects on our Solar System’s formation. For instance, Amir Siraj, an astrophysicist at Harvard University, suggests that the presence of such a companion could explain some of the features of the Oort Cloud—a vast, icy region far beyond Pluto. This distant shell of icy objects could have been influenced by the gravitational pull of the Sun’s missing twin, possibly even contributing to the hypothesized existence of Planet Nine, a yet-undiscovered planet in the outer reaches of our Solar System.

While finding our Sun’s companion star may be a difficult task, Konstantin Batygin, a planetary scientist at the California Institute of Technology, believes there may be clues yet to be uncovered. Recent simulations suggest that a binary companion could explain some of the structure of the Oort Cloud and the slight tilt of the Sun’s axis.

Despite the challenges, the idea that our Sun had a companion star raises intriguing questions about the formation of exoplanetary systems. As astronomers continue to explore distant regions of space, they may eventually uncover more evidence of our Sun’s lost twin—offering insights not only into the history of our own Solar System but also into the diverse ways stars and planets come into being across the universe.

Technology

Journalism Body Urges Apple to Remove AI Feature After Misleading Headline

Published

1 week ago

December 19, 2024

RTX

A leading journalism group has called for Apple to remove its new generative AI feature following an incident in which the technology created a misleading headline about a high-profile murder case in the United States.

The BBC lodged a complaint with Apple after its Apple Intelligence tool, which uses artificial intelligence to summarise and group together notifications, falsely created a headline suggesting that Luigi Mangione, accused of the murder of healthcare insurance CEO Brian Thompson, had shot himself. The claim was inaccurate, as Mangione has not made any such action.

Following the error, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) voiced concerns about the risks posed by generative AI tools to media outlets. The group stressed that the incident demonstrated the AI’s unreliability and immaturity in providing trustworthy information to the public.

Vincent Berthier, head of RSF’s technology and journalism desk, stated, “AIs are probability machines, and facts can’t be decided by a roll of the dice.” He added that the misattribution of false information to a respected media outlet like the BBC undermines the credibility of both the news outlet and the public’s trust in the information they receive.

Apple Intelligence, which was launched in the UK last week, allows users to group notifications, including news summaries, to reduce interruptions from constant alerts. The feature is available on devices running iOS 18.1 or later, including the iPhone 16, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max, as well as some iPads and Macs.

The BBC spokesperson confirmed the corporation had contacted Apple regarding the issue, urging them to address the problem. However, it has not yet been confirmed if the company has responded. In addition to the misleading headline regarding Mangione, the notification summary also provided accurate details on unrelated topics, including the political situation in Syria and updates on South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.

This is not the first instance of Apple Intelligence misrepresenting news. In November, three articles from the New York Times were grouped together in one notification, which included the false claim that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been arrested. The notification misrepresented an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court, leading to confusion about the actual content of the articles. The New York Times has not commented on the incident.

Apple has yet to respond to the complaints, but the company’s notification feature has raised broader concerns regarding the reliability of AI-generated news summaries. While users can report issues with notifications, Apple has not disclosed how many reports it has received. As the debate continues, the accuracy of generative AI in journalism remains a hot topic.