Day: July 8, 2013

Science

Science Goes Ballistic: 8 Guns For Hunting Knowledge

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As reported on Wired. BY JOE HANSON Some scientists might pride themselves on their finesse with a pipette or their mathematical expertise. But for others, part of the appeal of scientific research is getting to play with very powerful toys. And naturally, some of those toys are guns.   Only these aren’t your grampa’s shotgun. From physics to astronomy to biology, researchers have come up with some pretty awesome ways to propel something from point A…

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Random

How do fireworks work?

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As reported on The Verge. By Adrianne Jeffries Centuries-old technology with a modern twist The first firework was pretty basic. A Chinese monk named Li Tian took a piece of bamboo, stuffed it with gunpowder, and threw it into a fire, producing a bang loud enough to scare away ghosts. That was more than 1,000 years ago, but fireworks today are much the same: a shell, an explosive, and a fuse. The biggest changes in modern firework technology…

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Politics Security

Brazil allegedly targeted by NSA spying, demands explanation from United States

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As reported on The Verge. By Chris Welch Earlier today, a report in Brazil’s daily Globo newspaper claimed that the National Security Agency has been spying on electronic communications and telephone calls originating from the country for the past decade. The Globo story was co-authored byThe Guardian’s Glenn Greenwald — the journalist who first broke news of sophisticated (and highly classified) US surveillance programs with the help of former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. Today’s report is allegedly substantiated by further documentation…

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Story

Solar Impulse’s Solar-Powered Coast-To-Coast U.S. Flight Touched Down Safely This Weekend

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As reported on TechCrunch. by COLLEEN TAYLOR Solar Impulse made history this weekend when its HB-SIA airplane touched down late Saturday night in New York’s John F. Kennedy airport, completing an entire cross-country United States flight relying solely on energy from that big old star in the Earth’s backyard. The Switzerland-based Solar Impulse organization, founded by Swiss scientist/pilotsBertrand Piccard and André Borschberg, described the milestone thusly: “For the first time a plane capable of flying day and night powered exclusively by…

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Google

Roswell incident’s 66th birthday celebrated with interactive Google Doodle

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As reported on Engadget. By Daniel Cooper Depending on your point of view, today’s either the 66th anniversary of an Air Force experiment gone awry or an alien landing. With tongue firmly in its cheek, Google is celebrating the Roswell incident, the most (in)famous of alien encounters with one of its interactive doodles, in which you help an extra terrestrial rebuild his spaceship after it breaks apart in New Mexico. Once you’ve done that, you can then kick…

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Mobile

Garmin’s $130 smartphone HUD limits distractions with line-of-sight directions

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As reported on Engadget. By Zach Honig We’ve become so dependent on GPS that a three-minute drive often means frequent glances at an in-car navigation companion. But taking your eyes off the road can be very dangerous, even if it’s only for a moment. If you’re fortunate enough to have one, a head-up display will let you get to your destination efficiently and safely, and Garmin’s got a new aftermarket solution to keep you cruising on the…

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