In the 1997 spy spoof “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery,” the film’s villain, Dr. Evil, lusts for a new kind of weapon in his quest for world domination: “sharks with frickin’ laser beams attached to their heads.”
If you’re ever able to score a tour of Anduril Industries’ HQ in Costa Mesa, you’ll see plenty of next-gen weapons on display that would make any nemesis of James Bond envious, including autonomous fighter jets, submarines and numerous drone-like defense products. But alas, no sharks.
Don’t say the company’s founders haven’t considered some variation of the idea, though.
The newsroom of the Pacific Treasure Foundation, whose stated mission is to “protect, preserve, and enhance the vibrant marine ecosystems of the Pacific Coast,” notes that it has been working for a few years with fellow nonprofit Beneath the Waves on a “groundbreaking project, A Towable 360 Camera for Sharks.”
“The idea behind this project was to develop a 360 camera that could be safely and easily tagged onto sharks, offering a third-person view of these magnificent creatures as they swim through the ocean.”
The founder of Pacific Treasure Foundation has some experience with next-gen cameras. That’s Anduril and Oculus VR founder Palmer Luckey.
The foundation has other endeavors. In August, it announced it would help reopen a long-time scouting camp on Catalina Island, Camp Cherry Tree.
The camp, with a 100-year history until its closing in 2023, “has shaped generations of leaders,” said Luckey. “I asked the Scouting community to bring it back, not just to honor its past, but to ignite its future.” It’ll reopen next year.
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Donald Bren’s vision of game-changing technology doesn’t involve sharks, but rather unlimited energy supplied by the sun.
The Irvine Co. Chairman reportedly first became fascinated with the concept of space-based solar energy as a young reader of Popular Science. In 2011, he approached Caltech with “the idea of funding ambitious research that might transform his childhood dream into a global solution.” He’s since donated over $100 million to the school, where he’s a trustee, for those efforts.
In 2023, Caltech’s Space Solar Power Demonstrator (SSPD-1) launched into space; among other lessons, the “spaceborne testbed demonstrated the ability to beam power wirelessly in space,” it reported.
This month brings the first screenings of a new documentary, “Bright Harvest: Powering Earth From Space.” The film “chronicles the extraordinary journey of three Caltech professors as they work to make space-based solar power a reality.”
The film was produced by Bren’s wife, Brigitte, and Steven Reich.
“From the very beginning, our commitment has been rooted in the belief that real change comes from daring to imagine what’s possible,” Brigitte Bren said in a statement. Bright Harvest “is an invitation to everyone to join in shaping a future powered by the sun – anytime, anywhere.”
The movie’s being screened at Harvard on Oct. 13 and at Caltech on Oct. 27.
