A Laboratory of the Future Human Experience
While some work toward an invisibility cloak, University of Illinois professor Nicholas Fang is taking steps to create a similar material, only for sound, that could, for example, make ships invisible to SONAR. To successfully do this, of course, requires we break the laws of physics. But, you know, whatever. Continue reading… “Scientist Close To Invisibility Cloak”
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-cOoXdD2TU&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
Surveyor makes open source robot controllers that have quite a fan following among do-it-yourself drone enthusiasts. The company’s core product is the SRV-1, a programmable mobile robot controller that is open source,wireless and video enabled. Continue reading… “Making A Nintendo DS Control An Open Source Robot”
Those trendy, white earbuds we’ve all come to know and love could turn against us in the form of a static shock, according to a support bulletin issued by Apple. Continue reading… “Beware There Is Static In Your Earbuds”
Global warming may include some periods of local cooling, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley. Results from satellite and ground-based sensor data show that sweltering summers can, paradoxically, lead to the temporary formation of a cooling haze in the southeastern United States. Continue reading… “Global Warming May Result In Cooling Of Southeastern US”
The three Whiptail Lizards on view in the Hall of Reptiles and Amphibians all play a part in one of the greatest mysteries of nature.The New Mexico Whiptail, pictured here, is an all-female species that is actually a mixture of the other two examples on display at the Museum — the Western Whiptail, which lives in the desert, and the Little Striped Whiptail, a denizen of grasslands.
Most products of crossbreeding, such as the mule, are sterile. But the New Mexico Whiptail, as well as several other all-female species of whiptail lizard, does reproduce, and all of its offspring are female. Moreover, it reproduces by parthenogenesis — its eggs require no fertilization, and its offspring are exact and complete genetic duplicates of the mother. Continue reading… “Unisexual Lizards”
The design of a gargantuan telescope that will give astronomers their first glimpse into the farthest, faintest depths of the universe is well on its way, guided by Canadian and U.S. scientists and the company that will build it, piece by piece, in B.C.’s Lower Mainland. Continue reading… “B.C. Firm To Build Largest Optical Telescope”
This Lego USB hub combines two of my favorite things: Lego bricks and USB hubs that allow me to use multiple peripherals on a computer that has a limited number of USB ports. Continue reading… “Lego USB”
Trains are the most efficient way to move lots of big stuff over land, but the rail lines don’t always go to where the goods need to be. With a special combination wheel design that can quickly convert from rail to road use, the Chiron transporter looks like something Optimus Prime would use when moving house. But by eliminating the need to shift the container over to a truck for the final leg of its journey, the Chiron is designed to save a lot of time and energy. Continuing the green theme, the Chiron’s power is supposedly generated by an ‘algae fuel cell’, although no further information about how this wondrous power plant actually works is given. From the picture, it looks like the Chiron also works on good old fashioned electrified lines. Continue reading… “Transformers Style Truck”
We’re not popping government-issued Soma tablets yet, but a new study out of Japan suggests a decidedly Brave New World approach to mental health. Continue reading… “Lithium In Your H20”
Nearly 40 years after Americans first set foot on the moon on July 20, 1969 with NASA’s historic Apollo 11 flight, a host of private rocketeers are hoping to follow to win a $30 million prize. Here, SPACE.com looks at Team Italia, one of 17 teams competing in the Google Lunar X Prize:
What began as a glimmer in the mind’s eye for one robotics researcher has grown into a national endeavor for Team Italia, one of 17 groups competing for the Google Lunar X Prize. Continue reading… “Italy Plans To Send A Spider-Bot Swarm To The Moon”
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLccl_NWDQE[/youtube]
Remember that Martin “Jetpack” that was making the rounds last summer? The twin-fanned flier wasn’t quite ready to take to the skies, hovering just a couple of feet off the ground, and always with two especially attentive attendants walking alongside, ready to snag it if something went awry. Continue reading… “Martin Jetpack Refined”
Like a drug-hunting K9 with wings, the “Canna Chopper” is the Dutch police force’s latest addition to its weed-fighting arsenal (which must be impressive, considering that it’s adding a high-tech miniature helicopter). The unmanned craft is loaded with odor and video detection instruments so that it can identify fields of hemp from the air, and then call in backup to make the bust. Continue reading… “Canna Chopper”
