So, you want to build a space rocket or maybe you already have? Unless you represent a government agency, have access to Californian deserts or Siberia you might soon realize you have problem. The problem faced by everyone building rockets. via Wired
In many high-rise buildings satellite dishes are banned for safety or aesthetic reasons. But since patio furniture is still ok, Sat+ has created a chair-shaped satellite dish secretly giving you hundreds of channels without being hassled by your landlord.
The chair provides the same level of reception as a 24-inch dish, and manages to incorporate a hidden LNB, or low-noise block downconverter, which is that small arm you see positioned in front of modern dishes. The chair … Read More → "Sat chair hides your satellite dish in plain sight"
NASA’s Opportunity rover has seen a mineral on Mars that could only have formed in the presence of liquid water.
“This is the single most powerful piece of evidence that water once flowed on Mars that has been discovered,” said planetary scientist Steve Squyres of Cornell University during a briefing at the 2011American Geophysical Union meeting on Dec. 7. “There’s no ambiguity about this.”
Researchers … Read More → "NASA rover spots unambiguous evidence for water on ancient Mars"
As much as we liked the Chevy Volt, it’s only really efficient when it’s running on electricity. When you kick the gas engine in as a middleman, it gets much less eco-friendly, but a new type of fuel cell is able to convert gas into electricity. And it’s tiny.
Traditional fuel cells use fuels like hydrogen or alcohol to generating electricity. A solid-oxide fuel … Read More → "Four-inch fuel cell could power a car"
In keyhole neurosurgery, a small “burr hole” is drilled in the patient’s skull, and their brain is then accessed through that hole. The procedure is much less invasive than many other types of brain surgery, and can be used for things such as exploratory endoscopy, biopsies, blood and fluid sampling, cryogenic and electrolytic ablation (tissue removal), and deep brain stimulation. It is used to treat conditions including tumors, hydrocephalus (fluid on the brain), … Read More → "Dual-robot system designed to help with brain surgery"
When a satellite becomes unresponsive in orbit, there’s not much to be done — engineers can try in vain to hail the spacecraft and send it instructions, or perhaps blow it up in a show of bravado. But fixing it is pretty much out of the question, especially now that the space shuttle is retired.
But what if a remotely … Read More → "Da Vinci surgery robot’s deft maneuvers could help fix ailing satellites"
The Optimus Populyaris & Optimus Mini Six.
While the Populyaris is a compact keyboard that configures with very many options (like English, Russian, Photoshop etc.), the mini six is an auxiliary device with six customizable keys that can be assigned any function, including displaying information related or non-related to the current program in use. Mini Six is perfect as a Tools panel, remote control, or an indicator with static or animated graphics! via Read More → "A million keyboards in one"
The road to greatness starts at an early age, and a children’s book dedicated to introductory calculus will put your kid on the right path.
Written by Omi M. Inouye, a programmer and admitted average math student, Introductory Calculus For Infants follows a couple of characters as they discover the ‘wonders’ of calculus. I’m going to go out on a limb here … Read More → "Introductory calculus for infants"
Ask any superhero who isn’t fortunate enough to have a built-in flying ability whether they prefer jetpacks or rocket boots, and they’ll always say rocket boots.* Why? Because rocket boots let you do tricks. We might not have proper rocket boots yet, but these water-powered ones are the next best thing. And they’re even affordable. via Dvice
</ … Read More → "Water-powered rocket boots for super-powered aquatic frolicking"
