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February 18, 2006
Bubo
It's a crazy lookin' owl that has magic powers. It can cast spells to take over any electronic device that has a remote. Bought a new electronic device? No problem. In time Bubo will learn to control it too.
Who's it for? It's for little boys and men who want to prove themselves masters of their world.
I didn't write all this. This came straight from the company's website. I kid you not. If you're totally confused, it's just an electronic owl that looks for IR signals around your home. By constantly trying different codes, it will eventually figure out which one controls which device, kind of like a universal remote. The fun part comes in when you get more than one. A battle can ensue to see who's owl is more "IR powerful".
Posted by tranism at 3:13 PM | Permalink
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February 16, 2006
Skiwear Armor
A fascinating little tidbit that perked my fashion and science interests. The US and Canadian winter Olympic teams have skiwear with d3o incorporated into them.
So what is d30? It's a thin material that can be worn under or integrated into almost any fabric that acts as body armor when its molecular structure is disturbed.
The secret material is a synthesized mix of viscose fluid and a polymer. Under normal conditions, the molecules are weakly bound allowing the body full range of movement, but when the material senses a sudden deformation, the chemical bonds between the molecules interlock and tighten forcing the molecules to lock to each other changing the surface into armor shaped to the area of the body it resides on.
The technology is amazing when you think about how fast it has to react; within milliseconds. After initial impact, the bonds loosen and the fabric is once again soft and flexible.
Now if only I could get the company to send me a sample. :)
via new scientist
Posted by tranism at 11:58 AM | Permalink
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Even More Stars To Look For
Astronomers have identified a new type of cosmic object they've named RRAT (rotating radio transients). To simplify, it's basically a neutron star left over from supernovas except with one major difference; these stars pack almost twice the mass as our own sun but in a space of a small city.
RRATs are similar to pulsars which steadily emit energy every second as they rotate. However RRATs only emit something every 3 minutes to 3 hours. The erratic behavior could be explained by energy being unable to escape the star's dense core.
Of course, nothing else is known about them but if they really are the left overs of supernovas, perhaps the energy they emit could give clues as to how old or how recent the supernova was.
Posted by tranism at 11:22 AM | Permalink
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February 8, 2006
True 3D Image Projection
Scientists and researchers at Japan's National Institute of Advance Industrial Science have developed a device that uses lasers to project real three-dimensional images.
Until now, projected 3D imagery was an artificial optical illusion due to the parallax difference between the eyes. That's why prolonged viewing of them causes discomfort.
The new device uses lasers to focus light at points in space thru a lens. The light ignites nitrogen and oxygen in the air to create focus. Currently the device can only project single points of white light 2-3 meters in the air, but their movement is infinite and is only limited to how fast light can travel.
As laser technology improves, the scientists hope to create color images and eventually displays of video media.
via pink tentacle
another picture after the jump
Posted by tranism at 3:07 PM | Permalink
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