CYBORG'S LAIR: 2017

Friday, December 29, 2017

Cyborg's Digest (28/12/2017)

Energy

China will extend a tax rebate on hybrid and electric cars purchases until the end od 2020 to move away from the combustion engines.

Space exploration

Previously unseen asteroid (with 7-15 meters diameter), that was first identified on Christmas Day, flown between the Earth and the Moon in distance of 225000 kilometers.

Falcon Heavy was moved to launch pad for fir checks and then back to the store.

Progress MS-06 cargo spaceraft has finished its mission after 196 days in space after departure and fire re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere.

Fortunately, communication with AngoSat, which was launched from the Baikonur spaceport on December 26, was restored.

Anyway, because of this issue, and failed launch at the end of November, Russian authorities require an analysis of the situation in the space industry.

Monday, November 27, 2017

IT links (20.11. - 26.11.2017)

Machine Learning & AI:

Neural networks:

One of possible possible autonomous weapons scenarios - slaughterbots

Java:

And again, reminding basics - Java: What to Know About Passing by Value

SW Development:

One article related to estimations pain - Customize Your Agile Approach: What Do You Need for Estimation?

Tuesday, November 7, 2017

IT links (23.10. - 29.10.2017)

Machine Learning & AI:

This week articles from kdnuggets.com mainly:

It represents the most significant research advance in AI in the last few years according to Xavier Amatriain - AlphaGo Zero: The Most Significant Research Advance in AI
This is also pretty interesting - Hello, World: Building an AI that understands the world through video
How Can Machine Learning Affect Your Organizational Data Strategy?
Business intuition in data science
Artificial Intelligence Today: Time to Act

Java:

Really useful Spring annotation - Spring and Threads: Async

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Notes from trip to Masuria 2017

Masuria, a Polish region known for its 2000+ lakes connected by canals and rivers, is a popular destination for yachting and water sports. Its rolling landscape was shaped by glaciers at the end of the last ice age and the region is home to various bird species, including storks. You can sometimes see stork nests almost every few dozen meters.

The trip

Our trip began in Gizycko, where we rented a yacht. We also visited Hitler's Wolf's Lair (he spent more than 800 days there) before we started yachting.

There you can see Hitler's bunker and the place where a bomb exploded in the 20 July plot. However, photos from the lair cannot be shared online.

We began yachting, traveling south and passing through Gizycko with its swing bridge. We visited a floating fish bar - "smażalnia ryb" - on Szymon Lake, where we enjoyed delicious zander, coleslaw salad, and beer.

Our journey took us past Mikolajki city and to the Galindia resort - nice place featuring many wooden statues dedicated to the extinct Baltic tribes, the Galindians. The resort also has a restaurant with a wide selection of beers.

We reached Śniardwy lake - Poland's largest lake with an area of 113.8 square kilometers. You can hardly see the opposite bank there.

The southernmost point of our trip was Niedzwiedzi Rog - a well-hidden marina.

Afterward, we began our return journey to the north, stopping at several lovely marinas along the way.

We revisited the Szymon Lake fish bar for more zander, passed Gizycko, and continued more to the north.

Mamerki

Mamerki settlement hosts a complex of Nazi bunkers intended for submarine repairs. A planned channel, through which submarines had to arrive, would have connected the lakes to the Baltic Sea.

The bunkers, not visible from the water, are close to the bank. Visitors can also explore a WWII museum and enjoy the view from a lookout tower.

The lakes are home to numerous birds, some of which can be quite annoying, as demonstrated in the video below (a full-fledged substitute for city pigeons, maybe even worse):

Although it is possible to spend weeks exploring the lakes, our trip lasted only one week. This was my first yachting experience, and it inspired me to consider taking yachting exams.

Return back

Upon returning home, I was surprised by the significant temperature and humidity difference, feeling as if I had arrived in Italy. Masuria is nearly 500 kilometers straight north of Ostrava, a fact I hadn't realized before.

More videos from our trip are here

Thursday, October 12, 2017

IT links (25.9. - 1.10.2017)

Machine Learning & AI:

And some articles about chatbots:

SW development:

Exploring Cloud Computing Development
Something for fun :-) - The Seven Circles of Developer Hell [Infographic]

Java:

Java 9:

Pretty useful - Convenience Factory Methods for Collections in Java 9
Will Your Applications Run Faster With Java 9?

Sunday, July 23, 2017

Eye of Tara

Fossil of one of more complex life forms from Eye of Tara planet, third planet of Tara system

Tara System

The Tara System has gained fame due to the confirmed presence of extraterrestrial life on one of its planets, which was initially indicated by the detection of chlorophyll. The system received its popular name after the first direct images of this planet were obtained, revealing a snowball-like appearance with a massive blue ocean perpetually facing the parent red dwarf star.

The planet was named Tara after a Hindu goddess known for her blue eyes. The name Tara has various meanings in different cultures, allowing for a global association.

The parent star has approximately one-third the mass of the Sun and is 100 times less bright. The planetary system consists of five planets, with the two closest being hot, lifeless worlds without atmospheres.

The third planet, like Earth in the Solar System, harbors life. The fourth and fifth planets are super-Earths with very thick atmospheres. The fourth planet also contains life - in microbiological for - which was transported there from the third planet via the Panspermia mechanism. This life shares the same genetic basis as that on the third planet and inhabits the upper layers of the atmosphere.

Water in the system

The entire system is encircled by a belt of comets located approximately 3 to 9 billion kilometers from the star. The gravitational forces of the two outer planets can pull comets and other objects from the belt into the inner regions of the system. This process provides the three inner planets with a significant amount of solid-state water on their surfaces.

The two innermost planets have ice only on their dark sides, due to their synchronous (tidaly locked) rotation, which keeps the same hemisphere facing the star. Otherwise, the ice would quickly evaporate when exposed to the star.

The surface of the third planet, known as Eye of Tara, is almost entirely covered by ice, with the remaining portion covered by a deep ocean - the Turquoise Eye. The system is roughly four billion years old, and the parent star has already exited its active, eruptive phase. However, occasional stronger flares can still occur, posing a threat to unsheltered life.

Eye of Tara

Water serves as the primary geological agent on this planet. A massive ice sheet, with its dynamics supported by the flow of underground water, significantly impacts the planet's surface. This has led to fractures in the planet's crust, and water also helps to partially mitigate the substantial temperature differences between both hemispheres.

Currently, approximately 5% of the planet's surface is covered by the ocean, but this coverage fluctuates, sometimes encompassing the entire surface.

The planet's atmosphere displays effects similar to those seen in Earth's atmosphere near the polar circles, such as coronas around the star and neighboring planets, iridescence in clouds, glories, and various halo phenomena.

The ocean features many trenches, some of which are deeper than the deepest trenches on Earth. A vast ecosystem exists beneath the ice in large subglacial lakes and rivers, which also extend to the planet's dark side. One of the more complex lifeforms found here is a cold-water coral-like animal.

Life thrives also on the ice's surface, primarily in the form of algae, either directly on the ice or in temporary surface lakes. Planetary-scale winds transport life closer to the terminator, and heat is conveyed in small amounts to the dark side through winds and subsurface water.

A small portion of the ice is covered by volcanic ash, causing localized melting. Glacier lakes can also be found on the dark side, formed by subsurface water leaks and geysers.

Planets visibility on Eye of Tara

An observer from Earth could see the first two planets as tiny disks during their closest approach to the planet, with a diameter roughly 15 times smaller than the Moon's angle diameter. These planets pass the disk of the star, which appears approximately twice as large as the Sun in Earth's sky.

The two outer planets are also visible from the dark side of the Eye of Tara. During the closest approach, the first outer planet appears half the size of the Moon's diameter, while the second outer planet has an angular diameter 30 times smaller than the Moon, appearing as a bright dot in the sky.

Parent star:

Mass: 0,31 of Sun

Radius: 0,29 of Sun

Luminosity: 0,013 of Sun

Temperature: 3480 K

Planets of the system:

Distance: 4,25 mil. Km

Orbital Period: 5,37 days

Radius: 0,81 Earths

Distance: 10,95 mil. Km

Orbital Period: 12,9 days

Radius: 1,01 Earths

C. (Eye of Tara)

Distance: 22 mil. Km

Orbital Period: 36,92 days

Radius: 1,12 Earths

Distance: 32,77 mil. Km

Orbital Period: 66,95 days

Radius: 4 Earths

Distance: 113,7 mil. Km

Orbital Period: 436 days

Radius: 2,3 Earths

Monday, May 22, 2017

IT links (1.5. - 7.5.2017)

Java:

This week Java mainly:

Machine Learning & AI:

Must-Know: What is the idea behind ensemble learning?

Monday, May 15, 2017

Orbital Transformation Unit

Orbital Transformation Unit is a versatile unit designed for multiple applications in various environments. Typically, these units are deployed in large numbers, ranging from tens to hundreds or even thousands, in orbit around celestial bodies.

The platform is comprised of two primary components:

Shield - The shield comes in circular, hexagonal, or polygonal shapes with a diameter of approximately 25 meters. One side of the shield typically features a reflective surface, while the other side is equipped with photovoltaic panels.

Central part - This part of the platform houses communication and remote sensing equipment, including powerful "effectors" such as multi-functional lasers and microwave antennas capable of producing tens of kilowatts. Precise positioning, orientation, and fine adjustments of individual components are managed through multiple electromagnetic gyroscopes. Synchronization with other orbiting units is maintained using small lasers for distance measurement and short-range communication.

The platform offers numerous capabilities, such as:

facilitating terraforming processes by either heating (frozen carbon dioxide on Mars) or cooling (in the case of Venus - shading the surface, creating an artificial magnetic field, and vaporizing part of the atmosphere) specific areas of a planet using reflected starlight and directed energy from effectors, or by shielding the surface. Additionally, it can illuminate surfaces perpetually shrouded in darkness by creating a bright spot 7 km in diameter, with a luminosity equivalent to 5-10 full moons under Earth-like conditions.

providing shielding against a star's ionizing radiation, primarily charged particles, using both its physical structure and an artificial magnetic field powered by photovoltaic panels. This is particularly useful for planets with weak or nonexistent magnetic fields, such as Venus or Mars.

establishing a robust communication mesh network during the early stages of colonization or terraforming, or assisting ground communication through ionization of upper atmospheric layers.

serving as an energy source by transmitting power to the ground via effectors. A vast swarm of platforms can even encompass an entire star, forming a Dyson sphere that captures a significant portion of the star's energy output (for example white dwarf in the case of Stellarvore project, or the smallest red dwarfs in other cases).

powering solar sails for travel within a solar system or to other star systems. Units dedicated to this purpose or those serving other functions, such as terraformation, can be employed to accelerate solar sails toward a specific destination.

supplying additional energy to space stations through groups of free-floating units positioned nearby.

These units are mass-produced with minor modifications, using materials sourced from small asteroids and other celestial bodies across multiple star systems. Hefaistos Defense Systems is the primary provider of these units.

Close-up view of the central part - featuring laser and microwave antenna

A more distant perspective showing the reflective side of the shield

"Belt of Light" - a series of glowing points in the sky created by OTUs

A representation of a Dyson sphere composed of loosely connected hexagonal OTUs

Sunday, May 7, 2017

IT links (24.4. - 30.4.2017)

Machine Learning & AI:

Deep Learning intuition for a business user
AI & Machine Learning Black Boxes: The Need for Transparency and Accountability
The Guerrilla Guide to Machine Learning with Python
Keep it Simple!! — How to simplify understanding of algorithms like Gradient Descent - Interesting approach, learning algorithms with Excel

SW Development:

Decorator pattern - Toss Out the Inheritance Forest
11 technologies developers should explore now
Max. 5 lines per method - I agree - Method Length and Extract 'Til You Drop

Java:

The most significant changes in the past year in Java - The Biggest Change To Java
Might be useful - How to get access to database table metadata with Hibernate 5
And another one about Hibernate - 15 Reasons to Choose Hibernate Over JDBC

Saturday, April 1, 2017

Multi-Functional Combat Vehicle (MFCV)

The Multi-Functional Combat Vehicle (MFCV) is an armored vehicle featuring either a tracked or wheeled chassis. Armed with a 40 mm cannon, a coaxial machine gun, and one or two drum magazines containing up to fourteen guided missiles, this versatile vehicle can fulfill multiple combat roles. These roles include serving as an infantry fighting vehicle, providing artillery support, and engaging in anti-tank and anti-aircraft combat, which enhances the flexibility and effectiveness of a combat unit.

The MFCV's ability to assume a wide range of roles is attributed to its 40 mm cannon, which has an elevation capacity of up to 80 degrees. This enables the cannon to function as a mortar or an anti-aircraft weapon in specific situations. The vehicle's combat efficiency can be further improved with the use of laser-guided ammunition [1].

In addition to traditional 40 mm ammunition, laser-guided projectiles based on reactive material structures [2] can be utilized. These materials enhance the projectile's destructive force while compensating for the weight loss resulting from the embedded laser-guidance equipment, making them even more potent than conventional ammunition.

Laser guidance mitigates the disadvantage of the cannon's larger caliber and a lower rate of fire compared to 20 mm multi-barrel anti-aircraft guns by increasing the likelihood of hitting targets and enabling accurate targeting at greater distances with enhanced destructive effects. This feature allows the MFCV to damage heavily armored air targets, such as well-protected sections of attack helicopters or the ceramic cockpit of an A-10 fighter that can withstand a 23 mm projectile.

Laser guidance is not easily disrupted by current aircraft countermeasures (for example advantage of Swedish MANPAD system RBS-70) There are no widely used devices for laser jamming. Thus, it may be giving it an advantage over conventional 20 mm anti-aircraft guns. The same applies to laser-guided missiles stored in drum magazines.

The combination of high elevation and slightly larger caliber, compared to traditional infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) or anti-aircraft guns, makes the MFCV suitable for indirect fire support. Although the smaller caliber may result in a reduced destructive effect compared to mortars, this can be compensated for by firing in bursts and at a higher rate. Laser guidance can be used in the final phase of projectile flight, with guidance provided by infantry or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) [3].

The vehicle's turret can be fitted with one or two drum missile magazines (each holding seven missiles). In the transport position, only two missiles are visible from the front view, with one in the center and one on top (one of six missiles in a revolver-style drum). Missiles in this position can be used for direct combat. When the top missile is fired, another one from the drum automatically moves into the firing position.

These missile magazines, along with their protective casings, can also serve as standoff armor. They can be loaded with various types of missiles to perform different tasks, such as anti-tank, anti-air, anti-personnel, and artillery missiles, or multi-purpose laser-guided missiles with combined effects.

The MFCV was first introduced by Hefaistos Defense Systems.

MFV in fire position for indirect fire support

[1] Sandia’s self-guided bullet prototype can hit target a mile away: Demonstrating that laser guidance can be incorporated even in smaller calibers, such as 0.5 caliber.

[2] Reactive Material Structures (RMS): Solid materials that cannot be detonated but can be activated by the explosion of a projectile, forming non-explosive parts of the projectile and increasing its destructive effect during the explosion.

[3] Weapons: Laser Guided Mortar Round: Example of laser-guided mortar shells.