All posts tagged: Highspeed

Forget high-speed rail: California is exploring 140 mph bullet buses

Forget high-speed rail: California is exploring 140 mph bullet buses

Published by Jenni Sidey

Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. By signing up, you confirm you are 16+, will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time. When most American travelers conjure up the image of a bus, many words come to mind but fast almost certainly isn’t one of them. An ambitious proposal in California wants to change that by exploring the idea of buses operating between 100-140 mph. Though buses function as an integral means of affordable transit for millions of people, they certainly aren’t the mode of travel for anyone in a hurry. Long-distance operators like Greyhound, traveling from city to city, typically max out at 65 miles per hour, and frequent stops mean a bumpy trip aboard one can easily take twice as long as the same journey by car. But what if that same bus could reach speeds rivaling a train? That’s an idea currently …

Man escapes custody van before being struck and killed by high-speed train | UK | News

Man escapes custody van before being struck and killed by high-speed train | UK | News

Published by Sam Flores

A man was struck and killed by a high-speed train after fleeing from a custody vehicle that was transporting him from a police station to a court hearing, according to police. The man, believed to be in his 40s, broke free from the vehicle while it was stationary on the A1, Hertfordshire Police and British Transport Police (BTP) confirmed in a joint statement. Following his escape, BTP officers conducted a search of the surrounding area, during which they discovered a casualty on the tracks close to Welwyn North railway station. Two members of staff from a transport contractor were also taken to hospital during the escape attempt after “an altercation in the van,” though neither is believed to have sustained serious injuries. Formal identification of the body is yet to take place, although police have confirmed that the man’s family has been informed of the incident. The escape took place at approximately 9am on Thursday, the force confirmed. Hertfordshire Police has since referred the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, and a file …

Four Nuclear Companies Selected For High-Speed Project Development

Four Nuclear Companies Selected For High-Speed Project Development

Published by Jenni Sidey

After the wild success experienced by multiple companies under the Department of Energy’s Reactor Pilot Program (RPP) and Fuel Line Pilot Program (FLPP), four new fuel chain and reactor development companies have been selected under the Nuclear Energy Launch Pad (NELP). JUST IN: @Energy’s @GovNuclear & @NRICnuclear announced the first developers selected for the newly established Nuclear Energy Launch Pad.⚛️ The initiative helps private #nuclear developers move their technologies from concept to commercial deployment. https://t.co/j3rQ0ngPSj — Idaho National Lab (@INL) April 27, 2026 The NELP is the combined successor program to the RPP and the FLPP. The program provides “streamlined pathways for developers wanting to demonstrate advanced nuclear energy technologies and accelerate commercial deployment”.  Some of the reactor developers under the RPP have gone from chalkboard to fully constructed microreactors preparing for going critical in just over a few months, leading to multiple other companies begging for ways to also harness the DOE’s lightning track.  Four companies were selected under the initial round of NELP participants: General Matter, Radiant Nuclear, Deployable Energy, and NuCube Energy. …

Expanding high-speed rail systems provides unexpected cognitive benefits for aging populations

Expanding high-speed rail systems provides unexpected cognitive benefits for aging populations

Published by José Betancourt

A new study published in Social Science & Medicine provides evidence that access to high-speed rail networks can significantly improve the cognitive health of middle-aged and older adults. The findings suggest that large-scale transportation infrastructure acts as an unexpected tool for public health, offering mental well-being benefits alongside pure economic efficiency. By reducing depression, lowering air pollution, and boosting personal income, high-speed trains appear to offer a unique pathway to healthier aging. As populations age globally, cognitive decline has become a major public health challenge. Diminishing mental abilities not only impact a person’s daily life but also place a heavy financial and logistical burden on healthcare systems. Scientists have extensively studied individual factors that protect the aging brain, such as social engagement, high education levels, and routine physical activity. Environmental elements like fine particulate air pollution and access to public green spaces also play a recognized role in brain health. Yet, the impact of transportation infrastructure on cognitive aging has received little attention in the scientific community. High-speed rail networks transform how people travel, making …

Two hurt after high-speed New Zealand-France crash at Auckland SailGP race | Olympics News

Two hurt after high-speed New Zealand-France crash at Auckland SailGP race | Olympics News

Published by Sam Flores

Two sailors treated for serious injuries after Black Foils and DS ⁠Team France involved in major collision. Listen to this article | 3 mins info Published On 14 Feb 202614 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share One sailor is in hospital with two broken legs and another was also injured in a high-speed crash between yachts representing New Zealand and France on the first day of the SailGP race in Auckland, New Zealand on Saturday. The New Zealand team said Louis Sinclair was receiving treatment for compound fractures to both legs. Sinclair, a grinder on board the New Zealand yacht, turns winches to adjust the sails. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list “Black Foils grinder Louis Sinclair is in a stable condition in Auckland Hospital after suffering injuries to both legs during the collision with the French during racing today,” the New Zealand team said in a statement. “Sinclair is receiving treatment for compound fractures to both legs but is in a stable condition.” A sailor from the French team …

The tech behind the Olympics: High-speed cameras, sensors, and annoying drones

The tech behind the Olympics: High-speed cameras, sensors, and annoying drones

Published by Jenni Sidey

Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. Athletes competing in this year’s Winter Olympic Games in Milan will do so surrounded by a complex web of AI-enabled cameras, stopwatches, sensors, and fast-flying drones capable of tracking performance down to fractions of a second. The high-tech timekeeping system, the culmination of nearly a century of constant iteration, is fundamentally reshaping how viewers at home experience the Games. It’s also playing a growing role in how elite athletes train, and in some cases, may even determine who is ultimately declared a winner or a loser. Behind that precision is Omega, a Swiss watchmaker that has served as the Olympics’ official timekeeper since the 1932 Los Angeles Games. This year, it has rolled out cameras capable of capturing up to 40,000 frames per second, enabling “photo finishes” in speed skating and other timed races. Elsewhere, computer-vision systems and AI models will sift through a constant flood of camera data, generating up-to-the-second graphics that break down an athlete’s speed, splits, …

High-Speed Photography Explained, from Edgerton to Molecular Movies

High-Speed Photography Explained, from Edgerton to Molecular Movies

Published by skeptic

What if you could slow down time so much that the invisible became visible? Veritasium takes a closer look at how advancements in high-speed imaging have unlocked a hidden world, revealing phenomena that occur in mere fractions of a second. Imagine watching a bullet pierce an apple, not as a blur, but as a series of intricate, mesmerizing moments. Or witnessing light itself ripple through space, captured frame by frame. These aren’t just feats of technology, they’re windows into the extraordinary, reshaping how we understand motion, light, and even the dynamics of molecules. The ability to slow down video footage indefinitely has not only transformed science but also challenged the limits of what we thought was possible. In this overview, we’ll explore the fascinating evolution of high-speed imaging, from Harold Edgerton’s iconic strobe photographs to today’s trillion-frame-per-second cameras. Along the way, you’ll uncover how this technology bridges the gap between art and science, offering both practical applications and breathtaking visuals. But it’s not without its challenges, balancing clarity and speed requires ingenious solutions, and the …

At Least 39 Dead in High-Speed Rail Crash in Spain

At Least 39 Dead in High-Speed Rail Crash in Spain

Published by Sam Flores

Two high-speed trains traveling on the Madrid-Andalusia line in southern Spain collided late Sunday, leaving at least 39 people dead and dozens more injured, reports Vanity Fair Italia. The crash is the deadliest rail disaster Spain has seen since 2013, when 80 died in a single-train derailment. The crash occurred at around 7:45 p.m. local time, in the southern province of Córdoba. A privately-operated train en route to Madrid from Málaga derailed near Adamuz, with its rear cars falling on the opposite track. An incoming train, which was traveling toward Huelva, struck those cars. That second train, which was operated by Renfe, the national rail company of Spain, also derailed and was sent tumbling down a 13-foot embankment, officials say. Infographic with a map and schema of the collision between high-speed trains on January 18 near Adamuz, in Andalusia, Spain (Graphic by AFP via Getty Images) SABRINA BLANCHARD,SOPHIE RAMIS,NALINI LEPETIT-CHELLA,SYLVIE HUSSON/Getty Images Both trains involved in the collision were capable of speeds up to 250 miles per hour, the BBC reports. Speaking with the Associated …