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News.com.au
19 hours ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Trump 'Golden Dome' plan tricky and expensive: experts
President Donald Trump's proposed "Golden Dome" defence system is a plan that will face mammoth technical and financial hurdles, and could increase global insecurity, experts say. Trump announced plans for the space-based system last month, saying it would eventually cost around $175 billion and would be operational by the end of his term in 2029. The planned defence shield's name is a nod to Israel's Iron Dome that has intercepted thousands of short-range rockets since 2011. But the US defence system would intercept much bigger intercontinental threats. The plan comes after a 2022 Department of defence study pointed to advances by China and Russia. Beijing is closing the gap with Washington when it comes to ballistic and hypersonic missile technology, while Moscow is modernising its intercontinental-range missile systems and developing advanced precision strike missiles, it said. Trump has claimed the "Golden Dome" will be "capable of intercepting missiles even if they are launched from other sides of the world". But analysts are sceptical. "I'm not holding my breath," said Thomas Withington, an associate fellow at the RUSI defence think tank. "The challenges are so significant at this stage that they may simply be unrealistic to surround in the timeframes that the Trump administration envisages." - 'Poster child for waste' - Thomas Roberts, of the Georgia Institute of Technology, said the "Golden Dome" plan was based on being able to detect when a long-range missile was fired. A missile's so-called "boost phase" -- which produces a heat blast that lasts one to two minutes and can be observed from space -- is the best time to deploy defences, he said. "If you had an enormous constellation of interceptors in orbit at all times, they could be readily de-orbited -- or systematically removed from orbit -- to strike an intercontinental ballistic missile," he said. But Todd Harrison, from the American Enterprise Institute, said this would require a massive number of satellites. "It takes about 950 interceptors spread out in orbit around the Earth to ensure that at least one is always in range to intercept a missile during its boost phase," he said. But that means that if an adversary launches a salvo of ten missiles, some 9,500 interceptors would be needed to ensure at least ten are within range. "Given that China has about 350 intercontinental ballistic missiles and Russia has 306 -- not including their sub-launched ballistic missiles -- scaling a space-based interceptor system to meet the threat quickly becomes impractical." The non-partisan US Congressional Budget Office estimates that, just to stop "one or two intercontinental ballistic missiles", the United States would need a constellation of satellites costing between $161 billion to $542 billion. The US military could spend billions of dollars on research only for the next administration to nix the project, Harrison warned. "Golden Dome could become the poster child for waste and inefficiency in defence," he said. The plan also calls for developing satellites able to fire lasers at missiles to avoid too much debris on impact. But a European defence contractor said on condition of anonymity that such lasers are "still beyond what even the Americans are capable of doing". "It's just an excellent way to give the US (defence) industry substantial funding so they can increase their technological lead without necessarily aiming for actual operational deployment," the contractor said. - 'Global arms race'? - Trump's plan is reminiscent of President Ronald Reagan ambition for a Strategic Defense Initiative in the 1980s, which also sought to place interceptor satellites in space. China and Russia, which both have nuclear weapons, have slammed the latest plan as "deeply destabilising". Nuclear-armed North Korea has called the plan a "very dangerous" threat. Julia Cournoyer, research associate at Chatham House, said the plan was risky as adversaries would likely see it "as an attempt to undermine the logic of nuclear deterrence". "If Washington is perceived to be developing a shield that could one day neutralise a retaliatory nuclear strike, it risks triggering a dangerous global arms race," which would exacerbate rather than reduce risk. Withington said Trump might be hoping to use the plan as leverage for talks with China and Russia. "It may be that the Trump administration is hoping that this would bring both countries to some kind of negotiating table to talk about a reduction of nuclear warhead sizes or to revitalise the arms control agenda," he said. mra/ah/as/gv
Daily Mail
28-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
College staff threaten to quit after administration orders them to return to office 5 days a week
Georgia's public universities are now requiring staff to return to the office five days a week, causing backlash from employees who claim the mandate will cause additional problems. The University System of Georgia, which governs public university institutions in the state, announced at the start of the year that faculty must be present on campus during core business hours. Last month, USG's chancellor Dr. Sonny Perdue told presidents and administrators at a Board of Regents meeting, 'If that's not what y'all want, you let me know, because that's where we're going,' the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Vice President of Strategic Initiatives Ron Johnson at Georgia Institute of Technology, which is a USG institution, said at a town hall, 'We don't want to lose anybody, but there's a chance we will.' 'That's the risk that the institute has to take.' 'The University System of Georgia (USG) values all our employees and the work they do to support our students. We want to emphasize the importance of working on-site to best serve our top priority — our students,' USG said in a statement to 'Being present on campus allows employees to focus on several key areas: enhanced collaboration, timely support and student engagement, accountability and institutional reputation. 'We have received numerous concerns and complaints directly from students and parents regarding their inability to connect with staff or faculty on important matters.' Chancellor Sunny Perdue told presidents and administrators at a recent Board of Regents meeting, 'If that's not what y'all want, you let me know, because that's where we're going,' when discussing the new in-person mandate Employees have questioned the motivation behind the new mandate, with some pointing out the flaws in having faculty on campus from Monday to Friday. Jill Penn, an associate biology professor at Georgia Gwinnett College, rejected the notion that complaints regarding a lack of connection between students and parents with faculty members were a result of remote work. 'I know at Georgia Gwinnett College we're severely understaffed. When somebody leaves, retires or finds another job, they're not replaced. So that's a much more likely explanation,' she told the Atlanta Journal. Penn also noted that the school doesn't hold classes on Fridays, and argued that the mandate didn't make sense with the school's schedule. She told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that she believes each university should have the freedom to create its own guidelines. Employees also noted that Georgia Tech is in the middle of downtown Atlanta, and the limited parking is already an issue without the in-person mandate. Kim Toatley, the chief business officer for the university, spoke at a Georgia Tech town hall, noting the space problem. 'We're in downtown Atlanta. It's not like we can just take over a building or throw up a new building. So it's going to take time,' she said. Vice President of Strategic Initiatives Ron Johnson at Georgia Institute of Technology (pictured) said at a town hall, 'We don't want to lose anybody, but there's a chance we will,' regarding the new in-person mandate Perdue has defended the mandate, writing in an email to administrators, 'Having the ability to telework is not a right — it's an arrangement reserved for limited circumstances,' according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He told attendees at the April meeting that he expects employees to answer calls from prospective students, parents, or grandparents on a Friday afternoon. 'While we recognize that many employees and businesses around the country transitioned to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic, it's crucial that students have access to in-person services while on campus,' USG said in a statement. 'Although institutions may permit telework under limited circumstances, we continue to prioritize in-person work to ensure the highest level of service and support for our students.' Universities across the state have begun implementing the new policy, with the University of Georgia announcing that telework would be limited in the upcoming school year. 'All offices must be fully staffed during core business hours (Monday–Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Telework should be limited,' the university's website states. The website echoes Perdue's statements about working remotely, reading, 'It is critical to note that telework is not a right: it is an arrangement that is approved voluntarily by the dean or vice president and Chief Human Resources Officer (or designee) only when it supports the mission and needs of the institution.' Georgia Tech implemented a similar approval process, writing on their website that employees received a 'high-level email' on March 31 informing them that fully in-person work would be the standard by August 1. 'Telework will be available for limited, specific circumstances and only approved when there is alignment with Institute business needs and assigned job duties,' Georgia Tech said. Employees at the university who want to continue working remotely were instructed to complete a telework request form by August 1.
CBC
23-05-2025
- Science
- CBC
Flamingos create water tornadoes to trap and suck up their prey: study
During the pandemic, Saad Bhamla watched the flamingos at the zoo perform strange head movements as they ate, and found himself wondering: "What the heck is going on?" The birds would submerge their heads in the water, with their beaks by their feet, while stomping their webbed feet, walking sideways and moving their mandibles, splashing water everywhere. Bhamla and his colleagues decided to study the movements. It turns out, he says, the flamingos use their necks and beaks to create a vortex in the water to trap and slurp up their prey — an evolutionary practice apparently distinct to them. "We couldn't believe our eyes," Bhamla, an associate professor of bimolecular engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, told As It Happens host Nil Köksal. "When they raise their heads underwater, they create a tornado, which traps these tiny shrimps and tiny invertebrates living in the water that they want to feed on, and makes their job easier to sift them through the mud and muddy things that they feed in." The findings published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences show that these bright pink, spindly-legged birds stand out not just for their whimsical aesthetic; but also for quirky foraging habits and unique evolution. How do flamingos eat? As part of their research, the team observed 3D-printed models of the flamingos' feet and beaks, and studied the skull of a deceased flamingo. But the real stars of the study, Bhamla says, were Marty and Mattie, a dynamic duo of Chilean flamingos (Phoenicopterus chilensis) from the Nashville Zoo. Thanks to their willingness to be fed in controlled conditions, the research team could observe these flamingos as they ate with their heads upside down and submerged in the tank. Footage from a high-speed camera and other devices captured the velocity of these motions. WATCH | Compiled simulations of flamingos' foraging behaviours: The team confirmed that their head's anatomy — particularly their L-shaped beaks — help in creating this whirlpool effect as the birds quickly pull their heads out of the water. "They're moving their heads in tens of milliseconds," Bhamla said. "And they're doing this constantly, over and over again." The team also observed two other feeding techniques: chattering and stomping. Chattering is when the birds clap their upper mandibles, or jaw bones, underwater. Mattie and Marty also chattered their beaks when they stood still, or as they stomped their feet to stir up the sediment below. Stomping with their asymmetric webbed toes helps flamingos generate complementary vortexes to catch small prey and then easily swallow them with their beaks positioned near their feet. The Bhamla Lab website lists a detailed breakdown of each of these techniques, including video clips and a comic book illustration. 'They're not doing a funny dance' Jerry Lorenz, former research director of the bird conservation organization Audubon Florida who was not involved with this project, said the team "did an excellent job looking at the various flow patterns and movements" of both bill and tongue. "We've known that flamingos had a very interesting way of foraging and that their mouth parts were just kind of a bizarre thing," he said. "But the way they put it together to make sense of the evolution that created this … was just really astounding. I was actually delighted by the whole thing." From a conservation perspective, Lorenz says these findings are significant to understanding how flamingos interact with their environment to know how to best preserve it. "Evolution doesn't do accidents. If they're doing a behaviour and you don't understand why, there is an evolutionary reason for them to be doing that," he said.
