Newly Developed Cloak Hides Underwater Objects from Sonar

invisible sonar disc

An object that is invisible to sonar.

In one University of Illinois lab, invisibility is a matter of now you hear it, now you don’t. Led by mechanical science and engineering professor Nicholas Fang, Illinois researchers have demonstrated an acoustic cloak, a technology that renders underwater objects invisible to sonar and other ultrasound waves.

“We are not talking about science fiction. We are talking about controlling sound waves by bending and twisting them in a designer space,” said Fang, who also is affiliated with the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology. “This is certainly not some trick Harry Potter is playing with.”

While materials that can wrap sound around an object rather than reflecting or absorbing it have been theoretically possible for a few years, realization of the concept has been a challenge. In a paper accepted for publication in the journal Physical Review Letters, Fang’s team describe their working prototype, capable of hiding an object from a broad range of sound waves…

Continue reading… “Newly Developed Cloak Hides Underwater Objects from Sonar”

Skype Acquires Qik for $100 Million

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JJUaS5VHcU&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Skype has acquired video streaming service Qik, the company announced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

Skype CEO Tony Bates confirmed the announcement on the companyblog: “I’m happy to announce that we’ve entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Qik,” he wrote…

Continue reading… “Skype Acquires Qik for $100 Million”

iPhone Controlled Blood Pressure Monitor

wiithings-bpm-ces-2011

Withings Blood Pressure Monitor

With hypertension affecting almost 25% of the world population , blood pressure measurement can help to save lives. However, until now, taking your blood pressure required the use of complex devices with multiple manipulations, mathematical operations and data recording procedures. Self-measurement has been recommended by the medical profession for many years , but no one had yet found concrete solutions to expand its use. (pics)

 

Continue reading… “iPhone Controlled Blood Pressure Monitor”

Children with ADHD Have Brains That Cannot Stop Daydreaming: Study

distracted_schoolgirl

ADHD children cannot stop daydreaming according to a new study.

Children with attention deficit disorder have brains that cannot stop daydreaming, claims a new study.  Researchers found that they physically find it harder to switch off a “default setting” of the brain designed to pass the time when not focused on a task.

Scientists Develop First Successful Cocaine Vaccine

cocaine vaccine

Researchers develop cocaine vaccine that works in mice.

The first ever vaccine for drug addiction has just been created. By combining a cocaine-like molecule with part of the common cold virus, you get a vaccine that turns the immune system against cocaine, keeping it away from the brain.

 

Continue reading… “Scientists Develop First Successful Cocaine Vaccine”

‘Sandy Bridge’ – 2nd Generation Intel Chip a Coup for Hollywood

sandybridge

Codenamed “Sandy Bridge,” Intel’s new lineup of microchips promises the biggest-ever leap in processing power.

US chip giant Intel introduced Wednesday a speedy new generation of chips that thwart film piracy and enable quick handling of data-rich video and games.

Giant Tuna Sells For $396,000

giant tuna carcass

It’s beginning to look a lot like sushi…

In Tokyo, a giant bluefin tuna sold at auction for a record 32.49 million yen—nearly $396,000. The price for the 754-pound tuna beat the previous record set in 2001 when a 445-pound fish sold for 20.2 million yen. What do you do with a fish that sold for $526 per pound? Make sushi.

The massive tuna was bought and shared by the same duo that won the bidding for last year’s top fish: the owners of Kyubey, an upscale sushi restaurant in Tokyo’s Ginza district, and Itamae Sushi, a casual, Hong Kong-based chain…

Continue reading… “Giant Tuna Sells For $396,000”

Scientists Create 52 Artificial Rain Storms in Abu Dhabi Desert

thunder_2612009Abu Dhabi

On the 52 days it rained in the region throughout July and August, forecasters did not predict rain once.

Hail, lightning and gales came through the state’s eastern region this summer thanks to scientist-puppetmasters.

As part of a secret program to control the weather in the Middle East, scientists working for the United Arab Emirates government artificially created rain where rain is generally nowhere to be found. The $11 million project, which began in July, put steel lampshade-looking ionizers in the desert to produce charged particles. The negatively charged ions rose with the hot air, attracting dust. Moisture then condensed around the dust and eventually produced a rain cloud. A bunch of rain clouds…

Continue reading… “Scientists Create 52 Artificial Rain Storms in Abu Dhabi Desert”

Could Fire Truck Ladders Be Replaced with Escalators?

fireladder-500x374

Up, Up and Away On A Conveyor Belt!

Orville Douglas Denison thinks that telescoping ladders used by firefighters are too slow for firefighters to use effectively. So he designed a system that would lift up firefighters on something like a conveyor belt or an escalator:

In a rescue, firemen could extend Denison’s hydraulic ladder to windows as high as 113 feet. But rather than clamber up the ladder, the firefighter would hop on, and the rungs would roll up at 200 feet per minute—more than twice the average climbing speed of a firefighter weighed down by 130 pounds of gear…

Continue reading… “Could Fire Truck Ladders Be Replaced with Escalators?”

Chinese Computer Geek Has Fitting Headstone

Computer headstonegeek

A headstone carved in the shape of a monitor.

Computer geek Hu Chuang got the ultimate i-Bod – after he died at his screen while emailing friends.

Chuang, 26, from Chongqing, south west China, was so geeky about computers his family had a headstone carved for him in the shape of a monitor giving his dates of birth and death.

Stonemasons also included a keyboard and a mouse with a picture of tragic Chuang to complete the tombstone tribute…

Continue reading… “Chinese Computer Geek Has Fitting Headstone”

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.