It’s officially the “Beijing International Automotive Exhibition,” but its friends call it “Auto China,” and it’s now the largest car show in the world. Nearly 1000 companies flock to the exhibits taking up more than 380,000 square meters, or over 50 football fields! Or 1,246,719 feet and 50 soccer fields, if you’re from America! Or 9,329,989 beep-boop-zoinks and 50 astro-space-ball fields if you’re a Martian from outer space! Any way you spin it, this car show is a big deal, and there were two standout trends.
The first was electric vehicles. There’s always been an issue with charging, as makers have tried to maximize how far cars can travel on single charge while minimizing how long that charge takes. Now, a company called BYD claims to have an ultra-fast charging system that can provide 400 km of range with only 5 minutes of charging. What’s more, it’s designed to operate under extreme weather conditions. Since batteries are usually sensitive to high or low temperatures, addressing this is a major step in making electric vehicles as reliable as gas cars.
The other big topic was also fully autonomous, or self-driving cars. The company Geely developed a self-driving car built specifically for ride-hailing, so there’s no steering wheel or driver’s seat. That means you can pick your nose without fear of the driver judging you! Xpeng’s driverless car uses a combination of lasers, radar, and cameras to build a real time picture of the road, but we hope it works just as well in the clouds, because they may be extending this technology into flying cars as early as next year. It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s just my Uber! That’s one way to beat traffic.
The article "Satellites in Orbit Can Now Be Hacked: Why That's Really Bad!" from BBC's Science Focus explains the growing concern of satellite cybersecurity and hacking. The article discusses potential hacking methods, the consequences of such attacks, and the current lack of global regulations to prevent them.
In Evaluating the Challenges of Exploring Mars, experts discuss the potential benefits and challenges of sending humans to Mars. While a human mission to Mars would be significantly more expensive than a robotic one, proponents argue that the human experience and adaptability offer unique value. The explore the risks involved, such as financial costs, ethical concerns, and human safety, alongside the potential benefits for humanity's future survival. This video is excerpted from BBC’s The Big Thinkers, Should We Go to Mars?, where Dr. Kevin Fong explores the complex scientific and technological hurdles of space exploration.
In The Journey to Mars, scientists explore the challenges astronauts face on a long journey to Mars, including radiation exposure, weightlessness, isolation, and confinement. A journey to Mars could take one to three years, and scientists are working on solutions to these obstacles to make human space travel to Mars possible. This video is excerpted from BBC’s The Big Thinkers, Should We Go to Mars?, where Dr. Kevin Fong explores the complex scientific and technological hurdles of space exploration.
In On the Surface of Mars, see how robots that have collected valuable data and imagery on Mars still could not perform as well as humans could. To that end, NASA is working to make spacesuits less bulky and more flexible, so humans can work on Mars. This video is excerpted from BBC’s The Big Thinkers, Should We Go to Mars?, where Dr. Kevin Fong explores the complex scientific and technological hurdles of space exploration.
In Challenges and Triumphs of Reaching the Red Planet, Dr. Adam Steltzner and his team work to solve the challenges of landing spacecraft on Mars, especially when dealing with heavier crewed flights. Learn how innovative approaches, such as using retropropulsion and landing sideways, may address these issues. This video is excerpted from BBC’s The Big Thinkers, Should We Go to Mars?, where Dr. Kevin Fong explores the complex scientific and technological hurdles of space exploration.
In The Challenges of Sending a Crewed Flight to Mars, learn how sending a crewed flight to Mars requires a large cargo and even larger rocket power. To overcome the difficult initial part of the journey, NASA is building the largest rocket ever. Explore how the challenges of launching a mission to Mars are being addressed by organizations like NASA and SpaceX, including innovative approaches to rocket design and space travel logistics. This video is excerpted from BBC’s The Big Thinkers, Should We Go to Mars?, where Dr. Kevin Fong explores the complex scientific and technological hurdles of space exploration.
It’s officially the “Beijing International Automotive Exhibition,” but its friends call it “Auto China,” and it’s now the largest car show in the world. Nearly 1000 companies flock to the exhibits taking up more than 380,000 square meters, or over 50 football fields! Or 1,246,719 feet and 50 soccer fields, if you’re from America! Or 9,329,989 beep-boop-zoinks and 50 astro-space-ball fields if you’re a Martian from outer space! Any way you spin it, this car show is a big deal, and there were two standout trends.
The first was electric vehicles. There’s always been an issue with charging, as makers have tried to maximize how far cars can travel on single charge while minimizing how long that charge takes. Now, a company called BYD claims to have an ultra-fast charging system that can provide 400 km of range with only 5 minutes of charging. What’s more, it’s designed to operate under extreme weather conditions. Since batteries are usually sensitive to high or low temperatures, addressing this is a major step in making electric vehicles as reliable as gas cars.
The other big topic was also fully autonomous, or self-driving cars. The company Geely developed a self-driving car built specifically for ride-hailing, so there’s no steering wheel or driver’s seat. That means you can pick your nose without fear of the driver judging you! Xpeng’s driverless car uses a combination of lasers, radar, and cameras to build a real time picture of the road, but we hope it works just as well in the clouds, because they may be extending this technology into flying cars as early as next year. It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s just my Uber! That’s one way to beat traffic.
The article "Satellites in Orbit Can Now Be Hacked: Why That's Really Bad!" from BBC's Science Focus explains the growing concern of satellite cybersecurity and hacking. The article discusses potential hacking methods, the consequences of such attacks, and the current lack of global regulations to prevent them.
In Evaluating the Challenges of Exploring Mars, experts discuss the potential benefits and challenges of sending humans to Mars. While a human mission to Mars would be significantly more expensive than a robotic one, proponents argue that the human experience and adaptability offer unique value. The explore the risks involved, such as financial costs, ethical concerns, and human safety, alongside the potential benefits for humanity's future survival. This video is excerpted from BBC’s The Big Thinkers, Should We Go to Mars?, where Dr. Kevin Fong explores the complex scientific and technological hurdles of space exploration.
In The Journey to Mars, scientists explore the challenges astronauts face on a long journey to Mars, including radiation exposure, weightlessness, isolation, and confinement. A journey to Mars could take one to three years, and scientists are working on solutions to these obstacles to make human space travel to Mars possible. This video is excerpted from BBC’s The Big Thinkers, Should We Go to Mars?, where Dr. Kevin Fong explores the complex scientific and technological hurdles of space exploration.
In On the Surface of Mars, see how robots that have collected valuable data and imagery on Mars still could not perform as well as humans could. To that end, NASA is working to make spacesuits less bulky and more flexible, so humans can work on Mars. This video is excerpted from BBC’s The Big Thinkers, Should We Go to Mars?, where Dr. Kevin Fong explores the complex scientific and technological hurdles of space exploration.
In Challenges and Triumphs of Reaching the Red Planet, Dr. Adam Steltzner and his team work to solve the challenges of landing spacecraft on Mars, especially when dealing with heavier crewed flights. Learn how innovative approaches, such as using retropropulsion and landing sideways, may address these issues. This video is excerpted from BBC’s The Big Thinkers, Should We Go to Mars?, where Dr. Kevin Fong explores the complex scientific and technological hurdles of space exploration.
In The Challenges of Sending a Crewed Flight to Mars, learn how sending a crewed flight to Mars requires a large cargo and even larger rocket power. To overcome the difficult initial part of the journey, NASA is building the largest rocket ever. Explore how the challenges of launching a mission to Mars are being addressed by organizations like NASA and SpaceX, including innovative approaches to rocket design and space travel logistics. This video is excerpted from BBC’s The Big Thinkers, Should We Go to Mars?, where Dr. Kevin Fong explores the complex scientific and technological hurdles of space exploration.