Robots have been scrabbling towards the sky and back again on a slim, ultra-strong cable that could ultimately be used for a space elevator. LiftPort Group, based in Bremerton in Washington state, pulled the cable a mile high using three balloons, it announced last week. The 5-centimetre-wide cable consists of three carbon-fibre composite strings sandwiched between four sheets of fibreglass tape. Such cables could allow robotic lifters to carry cargo into space.
The firm behind the Taser stun gun has developed a wireless version, capable of firing projectiles that deliver an electric shock to targets 30 metres away. The rounds…
