Apr 17
Last month we told you about 20 terms every self-respecting futurist should know
Apr 17
This particular machine that you see here will no doubt be referred to as a ’Dalek’ by Dr. Who fans, as this £200,000 amalgamation of steel that make up a machine is capable of blasting potholes in a matter of two minutes, which could very well be the answer to poor road conditions. Right now, this £200,000 machine is on trial in central Bedfordshire, where it is touted to be able to fill up standard issue potholes a whole lot faster than conventional methods – we are talking about up to 30 times faster here.
‘Dalek’ Machine Patches Potholes In 2 Minutes original content from Ubergizmo.
Apr 17
The Earth’s magnetic field protects life on Earth, shielding it from damaging radiation and moderating our climate. So the idea that it could completely flip around, or collapse altogether, should cause us to worry, right? Well, yes and no.
Apr 16
I am quite sure that the 2011 earthquake and tsunami double whammy that struck Japan still remains fresh in the minds of many, especially when the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant was at the heart of the disaster, resulting in contamination that has yet to fully run its course. The after effects of the disasters, including the lack of cooling for the reactor cores in particular, is a major contributor to the environment’s groaning all around. Is there a safer way to house a nuclear plant? MIT professors Jacopo Buongiorno, Michael Golay, and Neil Todreas, working alongside others from MIT, the University of Wisconsin, and Chicago Bridge and Iron, a major nuclear plant and offshore platform construction company, are exploring the possibility of designing a nuclear plant that is built on floating platforms.
Such an industrial design is modeled after the ones used for offshore oil drilling, and in all probability, it could very well help prevent such catastrophic consequences down the road should a similar scenario strike. These floating plants would be able to be cooled automatically thanks to the surrounding seawater in a worst-case scenario, which would help stop any of the fuel rods from melting, and in turn prevent the escape of radioactive material.
Of course, as with any best laid plans, there is always the possibility of something going wrong. This could lead to a major worldwide disaster as radioactive material leaks out right smack in the middle of the sea, affecting marine life worldwide. I suppose it will need to be located far enough offshore so that it can ride out a tsunami, but then it would mean that working there is going to be a bore in the long run. [Press Release]
MIT Looks At Floating Nuclear Plants , original content from Ubergizmo, Filed in General, science,
Apr 16
What makes adult sized humans go gaga and coo coo and ooh ooh when they see a little baby? Their adorable cuteness! But are babies really that cute to make people forget how to speak? They are! And it’s scientifically proven. ASAP Science says we love round faces, big eyes, protruding cheeks, big forehead and a round body. Yep, baby features. Anytime you put that together—whether in cars or animals—we like it a little bit more.
Apr 16
It’s no subspace transceiver but this prototype communicator bound for the ISS could revolutionize how we share data over the vast expanses of solar space. It will deliver Gigabit speeds through deep space.
Apr 16
A bunch of student employees at The University of Alabama in Huntsville’s Systems Management and Production Center (SMAP) have come together and worked using both inspiration with innovation in order to roll out a $250 motorized wheelchair that will be able to perform the work that is equivalent to that of a $20,000 robot. Sporting a Ricoh panoramic camera that is attached to a mast, this machine will roll into position as it snaps a shot, which will then be stitched together in an app and viewed over a smartphone in a matter of seconds. Given the moniker Johnny Five, it will be remotely controlled manually, although the final design will include a tiny onboard computer that lets it operate in an autonomous mode.
$250 Wheelchair Transformed Into Johnny Five Geo-Positioning Robot original content from Ubergizmo.
Apr 16
How to Lie With Data Visualization
Posted in: Today's Chili
Data visualization is one of the most important tools we have to analyze data. But it’s just as easy to mislead as it is to educate using charts and graphs. In this article we’ll take a look at 3 of the most common ways in which visualizations can be misleading.
Apr 16
You wouldn’t think that a four-wheeled car would go faster if one of its wheels didn’t touch the ground. Or if its axles were bent. Or if it was designed to grind against a wall. But you’d be wrong, and here’s the science to prove it.
Apr 16
My sister is a witch. Or, more precisely, a Wiccan astrologer and tarot reader. Growing up as a kid who worshipped Carl Sagan and Stephen Hawking, I found it hard to square her worldview with my own.
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