Before you think about it, this is a real vehicle. Not a prototype or mock up, a real expensive first-class ride.
The MonoTracer is an enclosed motorcycle or “cabin cycle,” a style of vehicle which experiences a lot less drag than your average motorbike and keeps you from having to pick the bugs from between your […]

A team of European scientists has deliberately triggered electrical activity in thunderclouds for the first time by aiming high-power pulses of laser light into a thunderstorm. At the top of South Baldy Peak in New Mexico during two passing thunderstorms, the researchers used laser pulses to create plasma filaments that could conduct electricity. No air-to-ground […]

A new bio-environment for studying the hunter-versus-hunted phenomenon
The hunter-versus-hunted phenomenon exemplified by a pack of lionesses chasing down a lonely gazelle has been recreated in a Petri dish with lowly bacteria.

The Visionary New Hybrid Toilet

Leave it to Japan, world leaders in toilet technology, to lift the lid on a new, water-saving hybrid toilet: the tankless Neorest AH. Toto’s “Hybrid Ecology System and Washlet” draws on both inboard and outside water sources to the tune of 5.5 litres per flush vs 13 wasteful litres for the […]

Rosemary, Green Tea and Rose smells write!

Aromatherapy and nanotechnology are combined to create Pentel’s award-winning Ain Supplio scented pencils. As you write, specially selected oils waft through the air to relax, refresh and recharge!

The NapTV let you watch TV while lying down, and as a bonus, you can sit on it
How many times have you tried to watch TV while lying down, but the angle was all wrong? You put up with it for a little while, but your neck starts kinking and before you know it, […]

The Pedalofit Opens New Doors For The Disabled

The “Speedy Pedalofit”—a name which rolls off the tongue in a satisfying way that makes me think of an exercise routine for pedophiles only slightly*—is clip-on wheel and handlebar that coverts most wheelchairs into pedal-powered chopper trikes. And it’s not just for paraplegics who want to be […]

 
Classic prediction from Modern Mechanix in 1957
The robots are coming! When they do, you’ll command a host of push-button servants.
In 1863, Abe Lincoln freed the slaves. But by 1965, slavery will be back! We’ll all have personal slaves again, only this time we won’t fight a Civil War over them. Slavery will be here to […]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrOAXTkei3E

 
Going for the record - insanity record
A man gets 11,000 feet up into the air by hanging onto a bunch of helium-filled party balloons…
 

 
The fine art of deciding before you decide
A study has revealed that the brain makes decisions about 10 seconds prior to when a person realizes it.
Experts involved in the study said that looking at brain activity while making a decision, they could predict the choices the subjects would make, before they realized that they had […]

 The crew of the No One’s Listening podcast. L to R: Irene McGee, Mandy Brown, Chris Cornell, Skye Ladybug
Podcasting use is rising and now reaches 18% of the US population, up from 13% a year ago.

Sometimes exercise can be bad for you
It is considered that exercise is an effective path to good health, but a new study has shown that exercise may lead to faster prostate tumor growth, and thus hasten the decline of some cancer patients.
Researchers at the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center (DCCC) and the Duke Prostate Center, […]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnq3V8XB_0Q

The sinking of the HMS Scylla
Europe’s first artificial reef has been brought to life back on dry land in virtual reality, thanks to a Birmingham University project. Second video after the jump.
 

It’s naive to believe the Beijing Games will be just about sports

In January, it was Prince Charles. Last month, it was Steven Spielberg. This month, it’s George Clooney. Next month, bet on Quincy Jones. At issue is the Olympic Games, more specifically China providing weapons to Sudan and buying up […]

Healthy colons can be a thing of beauty
Researchers at Emory University are learning how vitamins and minerals in the diet can stimulate or prevent the appearance of colon cancer.

Pollution is affecting the distance that the smell of a flower will travel
Spring’s bloom may not smell so sweet anymore, as pollutants from power plants and automobiles destroy flowers’ aromas, a new study suggests. The finding could help explain why some pollinators, particularly bees, are declining in certain parts of the world.

eBay is at the center of the controversy
Stolen and sensitive U.S. military equipment, including fighter jet parts wanted by Iran and nuclear biological protective gear, has been available to the highest bidder on popular Internet sales sites, according to congressional investigators.

Great new furniture invention
This is the invention called SofaBOX— unlock the metal crate and open its latches to reveal a full-sized comfortable couch. It’s a brand-new invention by Swiss designer John Hofgartner.

To many on the team, the “Even dead people need mouthwash” campaign
seemed like an act of desperation. But to Carl, it was all about breaking new ground
Top 10 Photos of the Week
Join us on this week’s journey into wacky and wonderful photos.
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34tgu7ULkeM

Fans have been longing for a full scale Star Wars robot to ride around in
Here are a series of video of those attempts. Some are pretty cool.
 

 
A travel guide in the palm of your hand
Future cell phones may act as a mobile tourist guide, and provide tourists with information on whatever they see while journeying.
The target seems achievable with an eye-Phone technology that emerged as a regional winner in the European Satellite Navigation Competition, sponsored by ESA’s Technology Transfer Programme, recently.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHXBL6bzAR4

I’m not sure how we’ve lived this long without knowing this about cats
 
Two professional engineers illustrate the proper care and practical benefits of cats.
 

“Brain drugs” are common among scientists
Twenty percent of scientists admit to using performance-enhancing prescription drugs for non-medical reasons, according to a survey released Wednesday by Nature, Britain’s top science journal. The overwhelming majority of these med-taking brainiacs said they indulged in order to “improve concentration,” and 60 percent said they did so on a […]

 The world according to Penn Jillette
Here is a short interview with Penn Jillette on what is needed for the prediction of future events to be taken seriously.
 

The Brazilian Diesel Tree
Australian farmers in North Queensland have recently invested in 20,000 Brazilian trees not just for the sake of the environment, but also for what the trees can give the farmers in about 15 to 20 years. Fuel!