Four-Pound Robots to Rove in Space

Four-Pound Robots to Rove in Space Four-Pound Robots to Rove in Space Astrobotic Technology has a bold business model to make space travel accessible to every country. The lunar logistics company recently took a big step toward that goal with its work on CubeRovers, small robotic rovers for extraterrestrial exploration and experimentation.Standard space exploration tools are behind the walls of big corporations and theyre expensive to buy or develop, says Andrew Horchler, Astrobotic Technologys principal researcher. Were working to develop rovers that can be used by university communities, companies, teams, and governments to explore space.The company has already developed its Peregrine Lander, to deliver payload to lunar surfaces and lunar orbit. The lander measures about eight feet wide by five feet tall.In May, NASA selected the Pittsburgh company and its partner, Carnegie Mellon University, to develop the new class of small, lightweight rovers. The rovers will weigh in at about 4 .5 pounds and will be produced in sizes that vary from about 10 to 20 centimeters tall and widethe better to navigate lunar and planetary surfaces and communicate their findings, Horchler adds. Theyll also contain solar panels to power their operation.To describe the rover program, Horchler called upon the example of CubeSats, miniaturized, inexpensive satellite platforms contained within 10-centimeter cubes. Developed about 20 years ago, they made low-earth-orbit accessible. Since their inception, the technology has helped standardize satellite parts as well as bring down their cost and availability, he says.The CubeRover. leumund Astrobotic TechnologyNow CubeSat components and equipment can be bought online and parts can be interchanged with each other, making satellites much more accessible, Horchler says.The CubeRovers size and standardization will be key to their affordability, and their ability to access areas of planets and their moons not reachable by regularly sized rovers, says William Red Whittaker, said William Red Whittaker, professor of robotics at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. He founded Astrobotic.Due to the laws of scaling and the concept of miniaturization, CubeRovers perform with as much computing power as their bigger brethren, Whittaker adds.Teams of small rovers can survey more efficiently than a single, large rover. Mission risks can be reduced by spreading capabilities among multiple, low-cost rovers. CubeRovers acting as scouts, for instance, can identify safe paths into regions that are risky for large, expensive rovers, Whittaker says.A big rover muscles its way over terrain while a small one can go around, not just over. They can finesse the terrain, he adds. They also have greater mobility and agility due to their small size.The light, small robots could even be dropped from spacecraft to carry out their missions and report back, without the need for the craft to land on the lunar or planetary surface, Whittaker says.An d because its small, its economical to launch. Because its standard there are common ways to deploy it. And once youre in space, there are common ways for it to be attached to a craft and to communicate and those type of things, he adds.The small rovers could be launched in pairs or teams and could communicate with each other, Horchler says.You could have one rover on a hill talking with another one in a crater that it could communicate with and send that information back to earth, he says. They can go places a large rover cant risk exploring. Because theyre affordable they can be lost.If we figure out how to power them there, they can even explore the dark side of the moon, Horchler adds.Because they have less surface area, CubeRovers can maintain lower temperatures in atmospheres, like that of the moon, where heat isnt transferred from the robot the way it would be on earth, Horchler says.Heat is radiated out when youre on the moon, but its an extremely slow and not an efficient p rocess, he says.Though the CubeSats are more-or-less cube shaped, the CubeRover design wont necessarily follow suit. A boxlike shape isnt usually the best design for a robotic rover, Horchler says.The university has been developing rover technology for decades, Whittaker says, adding that all rovers carry some CMU DNA. Last year, the university unveiled Andy, a four-wheeled robot designed to scramble up steep slopes and survive the temperature swings and high radiation encountered while exploring the moons pits, caves, and polar ice.Whittakers robotics team came up with CubeRover technology as well as its basic design. Astrobotic will continue development. The company will demonstrate a prototype at the end of the year to win continuing NASA funding for development.If all goes as planned, CubeRovers will be roving the moon, Mars, even other planets, and reporting back their findings in the not-too-distant future.Jean Thilmany is an independent writer. For Further Discussion They can go places a large rover cant risk exploring. Because theyre affordable they can be lost.Andrew Horchler, Astrobotic Technology

How to reset your brain and increase mental clarity in just 10 minutes

How to reset your brain and increase mental clarity in just 10 minutesHow to reset your brain and increase mental clarity in just 10 minutesIf you could watch your brain for just five minutes, you would probably freak about the different things you try to understand, process, analyze, retrieve, and commit to memory.Its a complex process. Hundreds of thoughts cross your mind every day.Most people have a tendency to let things build up and procrastinate until they get overwhelmed.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Success, and moreWhen your brain is restless and stressed, you will begin to fall out of healthy routines and habits.But you can fix that.Organize all things in your brain with a braindumpIf youre serious about becoming a wealthy, powerful, sophisticated, healthy, influential, cultured, and unique individual, keep a journal. Jim RohnEver wondered why historys great minds including Isaac Newton, Abraham Lincoln, Andy Warhol, Leonardo Da Vinci, Marcus Aurelius, Charles Darwin, Winston Churchill, Benjamin Franklin, Ernest Hemingway, George Bernard Shaw and Maya Angelou would spend so much of their precious time writing things that will never be seen by another soul?Writing things down helps you prioritize, clarify thinking, and accomplish your most important tasks, over urgent busy work.Its the best way to clear your thoughts and organize your ideas.Judy Willis MD, a neurologist, and former classroom teacher explainsThe practice of writing can enhance the brains intake, processing, retaining, and retrieving of information it promotes the brains attentive focus boosts long-term memory, illuminates patterns, gives the brain time for reflection, and when well-guided, is a source of conceptual development and stimulus of the brains highest cognition.Want to unload all of those random thoughts swirling about in your head? You need a brain dump-a repository, as it were, for all th ings YOU.What exactly is a braindump?A brain dump is an act of getting all of your thoughts out of your head so you are able to focus on one idea at a time.Its basically a time to organize everything on your mind your worries, questions, needs, wants, important and urgent tasks, and everything on your mind.Those things get stuck in your mind over time, distracting you regularly from the things you need to do.The point of a brain dump is to capture the full picture of everything you need and want to do.This is one of many ways to declutter your mind, and it can be done in a matter of minutes.Its a powerful tool for that can make you feel in control of your life.If you tend to keep all your thoughts and ideas in your head, your brain will keep bringing them up over and over, making you feel overwhelmed.You dont want that, especially if you want mental clarity to focus on your most important things every day.Remove scattered notions from your mind and get them all down, then organize a nd follow up with ease.Take a mental load off-its relaxing.Barnet Bain, producer of the Oscar-winning film What Dreams May Come and author of The Book of Doing and Being Rediscovering Creativity in Life, Love, and Work, says a brain dump is a fertile starting point for any creative project.When to do a braindumpIf you can manage it, a daily brain dump at the end of the day can prepare you for the next morning.You can get this done in 10 minutes or less.Its the best way to start your day without thinking too much about everything you have to do.At the end of each day, look back at what you accomplished, what you learned, what you want to follow-up on tomorrow, and what you want to pursue tomorrow.Aim for 5 to 10 minutes of uninterrupted time to brain dump, ideally the same time every day.If a daily brain dump is not achievable, you can commit to a weekly schedule.You can do it towards the end of each week, on a Thursday or Friday. Its the best time to review your week and musiknote d own everything you were able to accomplish and what need to focus on next week.Here are some other times its a good idea to write your thoughts downWhen you have a busy schedule it helps to prioritize your tasks.When you feel overwhelmed. It pays to take a break and reset.When you dont seem to be making progress.When you have a lot of deadlines for work.When you find a big idea. Its the best time to write down a few details.When youre making plans in life and career.When you start learning something new.How do you successfully draindump?Its a simple process.You can use paper, notecards, a whiteboard, a Word document, an electronic device any medium that will let you get ideas out of your brain as quickly as possible.Now, start writing everything down.Dont hold back and dont limit yourself. Let your brain jump arounddeckblatt everything you need to do, should do, have thought about doing, should think about doing, anything and everything without any sort of priority.What is necessary , important, or urgent?Write it all down.Now step away after the process, and take a minute break.Shortly after your brain dump session, get back to your list and start organizing the items.Start organizing your list, prioritizing, grouping everything youve written down.You may change these groups over time, so just choose the simplest ones to begin with.Mine include writing, self-development, personal projects, friends/family, and relaxation/hobbies. congratulationsYou just finished a brain dumpIts that easy.If you keep practicing, it will become a habit.This may feel overwhelming at the beginning. But youll also feel accomplished and in control with time.Regular brain dumps will help you advance goals and get things doneThis article welches originally published by Medium.How to reset your brain and increase mental clarity in just 10 minutesIf you could watch your brain for just five minutes, you would probably freak about the different things you try to understand, process, analyz e, retrieve, and commit to memory.Its a complex process. Hundreds of thoughts cross your mind every day.Most people have a tendency to let things build up and procrastinate until they get overwhelmed.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Success, and moreWhen your brain is restless and stressed, you will begin to fall out of healthy routines and habits.But you can fix that.Organize all things in your brain with a braindumpIf youre serious about becoming a wealthy, powerful, sophisticated, healthy, influential, cultured, and unique individual, keep a journal. Jim RohnEver wondered why historys great minds including Isaac Newton, Abraham Lincoln, Andy Warhol, Leonardo Da Vinci, Marcus Aurelius, Charles Darwin, Winston Churchill, Benjamin Franklin, Ernest Hemingway, George Bernard Shaw and Maya Angelou would spend so much of their precious time writing things that will never be seen by another soul?Writing t hings down helps you prioritize, clarify thinking, and accomplish your most important tasks, over urgent busy work.Its the best way to clear your thoughts and organize your ideas.Judy Willis MD, a neurologist, and former classroom teacher explainsThe practice of writing can enhance the brains intake, processing, retaining, and retrieving of information it promotes the brains attentive focus boosts long-term memory, illuminates patterns, gives the brain time for reflection, and when well-guided, is a source of conceptual development and stimulus of the brains highest cognition.Want to unload all of those random thoughts swirling about in your head? You need a brain dump-a repository, as it were, for all things YOU.What exactly is a braindump?A brain dump is an act of getting all of your thoughts out of your head so you are able to focus on one idea at a time.Its basically a time to organize everything on your mind your worries, questions, needs, wants, important and urgent tasks, an d everything on your mind.Those things get stuck in your mind over time, distracting you regularly from the things you need to do.The point of a brain dump is to capture the full picture of everything you need and want to do.This is one of many ways to declutter your mind, and it can be done in a matter of minutes.Its a powerful tool for that can make you feel in control of your life.If you tend to keep all your thoughts and ideas in your head, your brain will keep bringing them up over and over, making you feel overwhelmed.You dont want that, especially if you want mental clarity to focus on your most important things every day.Remove scattered notions from your mind and get them all down, then organize and follow up with ease.Take a mental load off-its relaxing.Barnet Bain, producer of the Oscar-winning film What Dreams May Come and author of The Book of Doing and Being Rediscovering Creativity in Life, Love, and Work, says a brain dump is a fertile starting point for any creative project.When to do a braindumpIf you can manage it, a daily brain dump at the end of the day can prepare you for the next morning.You can get this done in 10 minutes or less.Its the best way to start your day without thinking too much about everything you have to do.At the end of each day, look back at what you accomplished, what you learned, what you want to follow-up on tomorrow, and what you want to pursue tomorrow.Aim for 5 to 10 minutes of uninterrupted time to brain dump, ideally the same time every day.If a daily brain dump is not achievable, you can commit to a weekly schedule.You can do it towards the end of each week, on a Thursday or Friday. Its the best time to review your week and note down everything you were able to accomplish and what need to focus on next week.Here are some other times its a good idea to write your thoughts downWhen you have a busy schedule it helps to prioritize your tasks.When you feel overwhelmed. It pays to take a break and reset.When you dont seem to be making progress.When you have a lot of deadlines for work.When you find a big idea. Its the best time to write down a few details.When youre making plans in life and career.When you start learning something new.How do you successfully draindump?Its a simple process.You can use paper, notecards, a whiteboard, a Word document, an electronic device any medium that will let you get ideas out of your brain as quickly as possible.Now, start writing everything down.Dont hold back and dont limit yourself. Let your brain jump aroundCover everything you need to do, should do, have thought about doing, should think about doing, anything and everything without any sort of priority.What is necessary, important, or urgent?Write it all down.Now step away after the process, and take a minute break.Shortly after your brain dump session, get back to your list and start organizing the items.Start organizing your list, prioritizing, grouping everything youve written down.You may change these groups over time, so just choose the simplest ones to begin with.Mine include writing, self-development, personal projects, friends/family, and relaxation/hobbies. congratulationsYou just finished a brain dumpIts that easy.If you keep practicing, it will become a habit.This may feel overwhelming at the beginning. But youll also feel accomplished and in control with time.Regular brain dumps will help you advance goals and get things doneThis article was originally published by Medium.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

Will Ferrells 2017 Commencement Speech (Video) - The Muse

Will Ferrells 2017 Commencement Speech (Video) - The MuseWill Ferrells 2017 Commencement Speech (Video) You may or may not have heard that Will Ferrell belted out Whitney Houstons I Will Always Love You at USCs recent commencement ceremony. But before he started singing, Ferrell, a USC alumnus himself, had a lot of wisdom to impart on the class of 2017.When he was first starting out as a comedian, not everyone thought he was funny. While some jokes were a huge hit, he faced plenty of criticism both when he first began doing stand-up, and when he eventually joined the cast of SNL. Journalists wrote horrible reviews, fans sent in insulting letters, and yet Ferrell didnt stop- because no matter how hard it was to face rejection, failure, and worst of all, his fears, he knew he had to keep goingAnd yes, I was afraid. Youre never not afraid. Im still afraid. I was afraid to write this speechBut my fear of failure never approached in magnitude my fear of what if. What if I never tried at a ll?His honesty hits home for everyone. Well always be afraid of taking risks- quitting a horrible job, leaping into a new career, moving to a new city- and that doesnt go away (even for celebrities). You just have to keep moving forward.And thats what Ferrell did. He ignored the bad reviews and instead focused on the next joke, the next script, the next step in his career. And thats how he ended up where he is today.So when there are family members telling you you cant do it, friends doubting you have what it takes, bosses holding you back, dont give up. Because fear and failure arent always warnings youre going the wrong way- rather, theyre signs youre on your way to success.If youre now in the mood to watch even more inspirational speeches, check outHoward Schultz on three questions to ask to get ahead in his 2017 speech at Arizona State UniversityBarack Obama on finding your passion and putting it into action at Howard University in 2016Sheryl Sandberg at UC Berkeley in 2016 disc ussing the power of resilience