LUMI Eye Mask
Do you find it hard to wakeup suddenly to that damn morning alarm clock everyday before the sunrise? Well, an eye mask that will wake you up gently by simulating sunrise half an hour before the alarm beeps is on the anvil.
Continue reading… “LUMI Eye Mask Brightens Your Morning by Simulating Sunrise”
British employees will not be forced to retire at 65.
British employers will no longer be allowed to force people to retire at 65 years old, unless they can justify the dismissal, the government said Thursday in a bid to lessen pension payouts as Britons live for longer.The move was welcomed by nonprofit organizations campaigning against age discrimination. Others, however, complained that the move will make it expensive for employers to continue to provide benefits such as health or life insurance to employees over 65.
Superconductors behave like most metals; they conduct electricity. They do so, however, with a twist. All metal has some resistance to the flow of electricity. But when the temperature drops, superconductors get less and less resistant (and therefore more conductive). When they reach very low temperatures, their resistance drops to zero.
Yoshihiko Takano and other researchers at the National Institute for Materials Science in Japan were in the process of creating a certain kind of superconductor by putting a compound in hot water and soaking it for hours. They also soaked the compound in a mixture of water and ethanol. It appears the process was going well, because the scientists decided to have a little party. The party included sake, whisky, various wines, shochu, and beer. At a certain point, the researchers decided to try soaking the compound in the many, many liquors they had on hand and seeing how they compared to the more conventional soaking liquids…
Continue reading… “Drunk Scientists Pour Wine on Superconductors and Make an Incredible Discovery”
A group of University of Tennessee plant scientists has genetically modified tobacco plants so that the plants will give off a phosphorescent green “glow” when plant immune systems are under stress – as might be caused by plant pathogens, drought, insects, etc. (The stress-indicating fluorescent proteins can be detected by scientific instruments only, as pictured above.) To implement this on a commercial basis, it is hypothesized, farmers would scatter the day-glow plants amidst a far greater number of normal plants, each GM plant serving as an attack sentinel for the surrounding a crop zone…
Continue reading… “Genetically Modified Crops That Glow Green When Stressed”
The first baby boomers will turn 65 in 2011, but is this generation truly ready to leave the workforce?
“Baby boomer” is the name given to the generation born in a “baby boom” following World War II, between 1946 and 1964. There are about 78 million in all, which is 26 percent of the population. Those turning 65 this year will be eligible for Medicare, and full retirement in 2012.
Continue reading… “First Baby Boomers Turn 65 in 2011, But Are They Ready for Retirement?”
Frog rides a snake to escape flood.
Sure, they’ve had their differences in the past, but when times are tough even frogs and snakes can share in a little cold-blooded solidarity. Amid the devastating floods in Queensland, Australia, computer technician Armin Gerlach spotted an unusual sight — a frog riding atop the surface of the water on the back of a snake as the pair sought out solid ground. It’s hard not to be inspired by the cooperative duo, particularly considering that snakes are quite fond of eating frogs, and vice versa.
Scientists develop new, ultra-light form of “frozen smoke”.
Scientists are reporting the development of a new, ultra-light form of “frozen smoke” — renowned as the world’s lightest solid material — with amazing strength and an incredibly large surface area.
Web is no longer playing catch-up among young adults
Television has long been the primary source of news for all Americans, but for the first time, young adults have changed that trend. Consumers ages 18 to 29 now say that the internet is their primary source of national and international news, according to The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.
Continue reading… “Primary Source of News for Young Adults is Now the Internet”
Google’s Tranlsate App for Android now allows users to translate conversations in Spanish and English.
Not content with solving every sudoku puzzle, Google has now dismantled the language barrier. An update to Google’s Tranlsate App for Android now allows users to translate conversations in Spanish and English.
Snow, snow everywhere…almost.
After big snow and ice events in the Southeast, Plains, and Midwest this week, 49 out of the 50 states currently have snow on the ground – yes, even Hawaii, where snow falls in Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea all winter…
Continue reading… “Snow Present in 49 of the 50 U.S. States”
In this series of images, Imgur user JoeDusk shows how cheap disposable cigarette lighters can be disassembled and re-configured as kick-ass little motorcycles. It’s pretty insanely clever…
Continue reading… “Make a Motorcycle Out of Cigarette Lighters”
Christopher Maag of Credit dot com wrote about a spoof site called the redatory Lending Association, which makes fun of those payday lenders that make big profits gouging the working poor.
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
Learn More about this exciting program.
