Steampunk computer workstation and toilet

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A piece called Steampunk Time Machine Antique Master Bathroom Computer Workstation
by Bruce Rosenbaum and Walter Parker repurposes Victorian-era plumbing components as an eye-catching desk.

A computer workstation built from Victorian-era bathroom fixtures spells retro-futuristic relief at a new exhibit of geek-friendly “antiques.” The Steampunk Time Machine Antique Master Bathroom Computer Workstation, designed by Bruce Rosenbaum and Walter Parker, melds a modern computer with antique plumbing components, including a ribcage shower, toilet and pipes…

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Lightbulbs made of paper eliminate packaging

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A paper lightbulb?

Designer Tien-Ho Hsu has come up with a concept idea to reduce the amount of waste created by lightbulbs and their packaging. The solution, as this design presents, is emulsion-covered paper that glows when hooked up to an electricity source…

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Magnetic Resonance used to artificially taste and improve canned tomatoes

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Improving the taste of tomatoes in an unlikely way.

What makes something taste ‘good’ is a complex psychological and physiological human process that has made creating artificial tasters, or accurate scientific models, very difficult. But researchers at the University of Copenhagen have come up with what’s described as a “magnetic tongue” that could allow factories to monitor and improve the flavor of tinned tomatoes during the canning process…

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Virtual Costume

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The wonders of QR codes

Let’s state upfront that Adriannezy is brilliant. She wanted to participate in Halloween at work, but not wear a costume that got in the way. So she generated a QR code that, when scanned, reveals a picture of herself in a classic Star Trek uniform. She writes, “I’ve had groups of guys holding phones up to my chest all day. It’s been awkward.”

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Scientists measure dream content for the first time

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Top: Patient in a functional magnetic resonance imaging machine. Bottom: Activity in the motor cortex during the movement of the hands while awake (left) and during a dreamed movement (right). Blue areas indicate the activity during a movement of the right hand, which is clearly demonstrated in the left brain hemisphere, while red regions indicate the corresponding left-hand movements in the opposite brain hemisphere.

The ability to dream is a fascinating aspect of the human mind. However, how the images and emotions that we experience so intensively when we dream form in our heads remains a mystery. Up to now it has not been possible to measure dream content. Max Planck scientists working with colleagues from the Charité hospital in Berlin have now succeeded, for the first time, in analysing the activity of the brain during dreaming…

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How to ditch big brother and disappear forever

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Leave no trace.

So you’ve decided you want to drop off the map and leave Big Brother behind. It’s harder than ever in our always-connected world, but if you’re ready to plan your big vanishing act, here are a few tips to get you started.
If this looks familiar, you’re not crazy. Our guide to dropping off the map is a perennial Evil Week favorite.

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Microbial home: fuelling the kitchen with methane from waste

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Harnessing wast for power.

This concept design for a “microbial home” centered around a methane digester hub that feeds gas from your food into various appliances has a nice, bodgy, Rube Goldberg feel. We can call it methanepunk (not perfect, but better than “fartpunk”)…

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Would you use dollar coins if it saved the Government $5.6 billion?

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Coins can save $.

The recently-assembled super-committee tasked with saving the US from financial disaster by year’s end wants to trade dollar bills for dollar…coins? Wait, don’t we already have some of those that nobody uses?

This controversial plan has been floated before but has met with a tepid response from most Americans and strong lobbying efforts from both paper and mining industries (and the states in which those industries reside). However, a recent study by the Government Accountability Office found that the coin’s longer lifetime—4.2 years vs. 22 months for bills—would translate into a $5.6 billion savings over the course of 30 years…

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Geothermal mapping report confirms vast coast-to-coast clean energy source in U.S.

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Energy beneath our feet.

New research from SMU’s Geothermal Laboratory, funded by a grant from Google.org, documents significant geothermal resources across the United States capable of producing more than three million megawatts of green power — 10 times the installed capacity of coal power plants today…

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iPod creators design the perfect thermostat that learns your habits

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A new view on temperature regulation.

Let’s face it, programmable thermostats can be complicated. They’re like any other device you have to program — they sound neat but actually using them can be annoying. And yet, the thermostat is one of the most important parts of a home for keeping the carbon footprint low. So how do we simplify something that can add up to a complex ordeal what with mornings, evenings, different rooms, different preferences, and so on? Well, the creator of the iPod — a marvelously simple but powerful device — has an idea…

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Linguists crack mysterious 300-year old coded manuscript

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The knowledge has availed itself.

The Copiale Cipher is a 105-page handwritten document that was composed sometime in the late Eighteenth Century. It has 75,000 characters, both symbols and Roman letters. Until recently, it was indecipherable. But now linguists using translation programs have decoded the first sixteen pages. Here’s how they did it…

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Brain Scans support findings that IQ can rise or fall significantly during adolescence

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Is the IQ up or down today?

IQ, the standard measure of intelligence, can increase or fall significantly during our teenage years, according to research funded by the Wellcome Trust, and these changes are associated with changes to the structure of our brains. The findings may have implications for testing and streaming of children during their school years…

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Discover the Hidden Patterns of Tomorrow with Futurist Thomas Frey
Unlock Your Potential, Ignite Your Success.

By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.

Learn More about this exciting program.