Stink bugs
Stink bugs, the smelly scourge of the mid-Atlantic, are hitch-hiking and gliding their way across the country. Officially known as the brown marmorated stink bug, sightings of the pest have been reported in 33 states, an increase of eight states since last fall. (video)
Continue reading… “Stink Bug Epidemic Spreads to 33 U.S. States”
Krestel
Marijuana’s fibrous cousin hemp has a long history with auto makers. in 1941 Henry Ford unveiled a car body made primarily out of organic fibers, hemp included. seventy years later, the world’s first production-ready biocomposite electric car—with hemp as the “bio”—will finally hit the streets. The Kestrel, a three-door hatchback, is made of a “hemp composite as strong as the fiberglass in boats, yet incredibly lightweight,” says Nathan Armstrong, the president of Motive industries, Kestrel’s manufacturer.
Continue reading… “Krestel – The First Car Built Out of Hemp”
The First Fuel Cell-Powered Black Cab
It may not look much different than your average black cab on the outside (decals aside), but it’s quite a different story under the hood of this taxi, which has just been deemed road legal in the UK. Developed by Intelligent Energy, the cab actually includes both a fuel cell with a 30 kW net output and a 14 kWh lithium polymer battery pack, which combined promise to provide enough juice for a full day of operation — along with a top speed of 81 MPH and acceleration from zero to sixty in fourteen seconds. Londoners won’t be seeing them everywhere just yet, however, as the company only expects the first fleet to be ready sometime next year in time for the 2012 Olympics.
Continue reading… “UK’s First Fuel Cell-Powered Black Cab Hits the Streets of London”
In a labyrinth of tunnels beneath the Egyptian desert lies a truly remarkable catacomb containing the mummified remains of dogs and jackals.
Now, since this is Egypt, mummies aren’t exactly unusual – what made the Dog Catacomb so different is that it contains an immense amount of mummified puppies:
They estimate the catacombs contain the remains of 8 million animals. Given the sheer numbers of animals, it is likely they were bred by the thousands in puppy farms around the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis, according to the researchers. The Dog Catacombs are located at Saqqara, the burial ground for the ancient capital Memphis…
Continue reading… “Egyptian “Dog Catacomb” Has 8 Million Mummified Dogs”
Almost every country in the EU last week approved the use of Meat Glue in food. Technically called thrombian, or transglutaminase (TG), it is an enzyme that food processors use to hold different kinds of meat together.
Imitation crab meat is one of the more common applications: it’s made from surimi, a “fish-based food product” made by pulverizing white fish like pollock or hake into a paste, which is then mixed with meat glue so that the shreds stick together and hold the shape wanted for it by its creator…
3D entertainment will never be the same again if one of the latest projects of researchers from the Osaka University, a 360 degree fog display, goes into mass production.
The 3D image is created with the help of 3 projectors that are focused on the fog display. One of the Japanese researchers got this idea after seeing a fog display in an entertainment park, so it is not a mistake to assume that inspiration may come in the strangest places. Each of the 3 projectors shows the object (in this particular case, a rabbit) from a different angle. As a result, the 3D effect is created and the imaged can be watched from multiple points of view. Directionality is the result of the fact that light gets dispersed by fog…
The skull and tusks of a giant primitive elephant that died up to 2million years have been discovered by builders in Chile, it emerged today.
The mastodon, around the same size as modern elephants, is thought to have roamed forests and plains before dying and sinking into a swamp that preserved it.
The find, beside a river, could allow scientists to piece together more information about the DNA they share with their much bigger relative, the woolly mammoth…
The Memidex online dictionary and thesaurus is the Internet’s first combined index of external definitions, audio, and etymology. Memidex now has over 12.5 million detailed references making it a useful and unique English language reference tool for students, teachers, researchers, professional writers, and casual browsers alike…
Continue reading… “Memidex Free Online Dictionary And Thesaurus”
Google is making a big new push into social with a feature called “+1” that is similar in purpose to the Facebook “Like” button, but integrated directly into the world’s biggest search engine.
Starting Wednesday, users who opt into the +1 button experiment (and soon everyone else) in Google Labs will start seeing a +1 icon next to each link in Google search results…
Continue reading… “Google’s Answer to the Facebook “Like” Button: The “+1””
“Patients need to be asked ‘can you afford your medications?’
A significant portion of people – perhaps as many as one in five – don’t take drugs a doctor has prescribed because they can’t pay for them, according to a new survey of people visiting an emergency room.
Continue reading… “1 in 5 People Don’t Take Prescription Drugs Because of Cost”
The steering wheel of the McLaren Mercedes MP4-26.
It wouldn’t be Formula 1 without some kind of constant friction between racers, team owners and organizers, and this year’s kerfuffle involves steering wheels that force drivers to push more buttons than a 747 pilot having a seizure. (video)
Continue reading… “The $50K Formula One Steering Wheel That Even Pours Drinks”
Aerial photo of the Cargill Salt Ponds in San Francisco Bay
Aerial photography can produce some very inspirational photographs that provide us a beautiful view of our surroundings from a different perspective that we never usually don’t use to see.