Royal Navy warship destroys supersonic missile in weapons test
HMS Dragon, a Type 45 destroyer, launched a specially modified Sea Viper missile at an incoming high-speed target.
It marks the first time the Royal Navy has faced down such a target — one that is challenging due to its speed and its ability to carry out corkscrew and weave manoeuvres.
The Sea Viper launched was a specially modified telemetry version, designed to record measurements and valuable data to inform future operations.
The missile firing took place as part of Exercise Formidable Shield, the largest annual live-firing exercise in Europe. The Portsmouth-based ship showcased its ability to defend itself and other
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Reuters
3 hours ago
- Reuters
EU turns to private funding to boost quantum technology ambition
BRUSSELS, July 2 (Reuters) - The European Union is seeking to attract private funding to help it take the lead in quantum technology by 2030, EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen said on Wednesday, as the bloc works to cut its reliance in the sector on the United States and China. Quantum technology will make processing significantly faster than conventional computing, has the potential to impact every part of the economy and could be worth trillions of dollars within the next decade, according to McKinsey. "We have to now focus more on private funding because we are very strong already in public funding," Virkkunen told a news conference as she announced the EU Quantum Strategy. The European Commission and EU countries have in the last five years provided more than 11 billion euros ($13 billion) in public funding to quantum technology. "Only 5% of the global private investments on quantum are now coming to Europe. So we will especially work on the private funding part in the coming months," Virkkunen said. The EU Quantum Strategy also envisages EU countries pooling their expertise and resources in research, quantum infrastructures and the ecosystem of start-ups and scale-ups as well as focusing on dual use of the technology in security and defence. Virkkunen said start-ups in particular should be helped. "European quantum startups, they are vulnerable to being bought by foreign entities or moving to areas with better funding and this is why it is crucial to act now," she said. She said the Commission will propose legislation called a Quantum Act next year to build on the strategy. ($1 = 0.8501 euros)
BBC News
6 hours ago
- BBC News
Michelin-starred chef's lobster bisque and foie gras heading to space
When you think about the food that astronauts eat in space, lobster, haddock and foie gras probably don't spring to mind - but that's exactly what France's next visitor to the International Space Station (ISS) will be dining Sophie Adenot has teamed up with award-winning French chef Anne-Sophie Pic to create a menu of gastronomic delights that will travel with Adenot to the ISS next of the usual freeze-dried nutrients that astronauts eat, Adenot, 42, will be choosing from the likes of "Foie gras cream on toasted brioche" and "Lobster bisque with crab and caraway". The menu - which the European Space Agency (ESA) has dubbed "a pinch of France in space" - includes four starters, two main courses and two desserts. Adenot said the dishes, which also include braised beef, and chocolate cream, will not only "delight our palates" but also help her feel connected to Earth, and her home country."Her (Pic's) cuisine signature is deeply influenced by the terroir. This is important to me because I grew up in the countryside, and it will remind me of my roots," she was quoted as saying in an ESA are strict rules for food on the ISS - it must be crumb-free, lightweight and keep for at least 24 months, the ESA says. Therefore, most meals are canned, vacuum packed or freeze-dried, with fresh fruit and vegetables a rare luxury that can only be enjoyed when a spacecraft arrives with new to keep things interesting, boost morale, and help with crew bonding, every tenth or so meal is one prepared especially for each astronaut, with these "bonus meals" often made in partnership with a for her haute cuisine, Pic, 55, has the most Michelin stars of any female chef in the world - says this project is "pushing the boundaries" of gastronomy, as she worked with her team to create special food, while keeping within the technical constraints."Cooking for space is an exhilarating challenge," she was quoted as saying by the says she will share the haute cuisine with her colleagues on board - it is after all an important moment - French gastronomic culture becoming for the first time... a former helicopter test and rescue pilot, has won a string of awards, including a medal honouring her actions in gender equality in the sciences.
The Independent
8 hours ago
- The Independent
Researchers discover certain gut bacteria can protect you from toxic plastics that increase cancer risks
Could your gut protect you from the toxic impacts of forever chemicals? Forever chemicals, also known as 'PFAS,' are long-lasting, synthetic chemicals that have been used in consumer products around the world since the 1950s. They're found in waterproof clothing, non-stick pans, plastic food packaging, and firefighting foams. Exposure to the chemicals may be tied to negative health impacts, including fertility, developmental delays in children, a weakened immune system, increased cholesterol levels, and a heightened risk of some cancers. There are thousands of forever chemicals that have potentially varying effects and toxicity levels. Now, scientists say they've discovered that some bacteria found in the human gut have the ability to absorb the chemicals — and potentially protect from associated health impacts. 'We found that certain species of human gut bacteria have a remarkably high capacity to soak up PFAS from their environment at a range of concentrations, and store these in clumps inside their cells,' Dr. Kiran Patil, a member of the British University of Cambridge's MRC Toxicology Unit, explained in a statement. 'Due to aggregation of PFAS in these clumps, the bacteria themselves seem protected from the toxic effects.' Patil was the senior author of the research, which was published in the journal Nature Microbiology. To reach these conclusions, the researchers inserted several species of bacteria from the human gut into mice. The study found that nine species of the bacteria gathered the forever chemicals the rodents ate and then pooped out. When exposed to increasing levels of the chemicals, the bacteria worked even harder, consistently removing the same percentage of the toxic chemicals. Within just minutes of exposure, the bacterial species soaked up between a quarter and nearly two-thirds of the forever chemicals. The same effect has not yet been tested in humans, but the researchers said they plan to use their findings to create probiotic dietary supplements that boost the levels of these species in the gut to shield against any PFAS-related health harms. They are also looking at how they could turbo-charge the species' performance. 'The reality is that PFAS are already in the environment and in our bodies, and we need to try and mitigate their impact on our health now,' Dr. Indra Roux, a researcher at the University of Cambridge's MRC Toxicology Unit and a co-author of the study, said. Until then, the researchers say the best thing people can do to protect themselves is to avoid known risks for exposure. Although, even tap water has been contaminated: nearly half of all tap water in America. Under the Trump administration, the Environmental Protection Agency moved to weaken Biden-era standards limiting the pollution of potentially-toxic 'forever chemicals' in U.S. drinking water sources earlier this year. 'PFAS were once considered safe, but it's now clear that they're not,' added fellow researcher Dr. Anna Lindell. 'It's taken a long time for PFAS to become noticed because at low levels they're not acutely toxic. But they're like a slow poison.'
