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Nature and Practice of Science

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Ecosystem in a bowl. The $125,000 3D Pizza Printer - News - Concrete Playground Brisbane. No matter what our television screens told us about the 21st century, it looks like we probably won't gain access to hoverboards, robot maids or teleporting stargates any time soon.

The $125,000 3D Pizza Printer - News - Concrete Playground Brisbane

Sorry guys. However, recent news from the US may offset every other sci-fi-based hope that has been dashed by the underwhelming reality of 2013. NASA has just announced that it is dropping US$125,000 on the development of a 3D food printer. World's First Kitchen-Ready 3D Food Printer Is Coming. Back in May 2013, we brought news of NASA's US$125,000 3D pizza printer to your cyber-doorstep.

World's First Kitchen-Ready 3D Food Printer Is Coming

Now, we've got something cheaper, sweeter and much more personal for you. At the 2014 CES (Consumer Electronics Show), held January 7-10 in Las Vegas, US company 3D Systems unveiled the world's first kitchen-ready 3D food printers, the Chefjet and the Chefjet Pro. Designed with pastry chefs as the target market, the Willy Wonka-esque contraptions can print sugar in three different flavours (cherry, sour apple and mint), as well as milk chocolate. The Chefjet, which will retail for less than US$5,000, can conjure up single-colour goodies, such as cake decorations and fancy sugar cubes. The Chefjet Pro will carry the heftier price tag of US$10,000 but will offer the creative flexibility of full-colour printing and the ability to handle larger volumes. "The machine uses an ink jet print head that's just like the one you would find in your desktop 2D printer," said Liz von Hasseln of 3D Systems.

Five Creative Systems for Apartment Gardening. Dying to grow your own food but failed to take the agriculture elective in high school?

Five Creative Systems for Apartment Gardening

Been green with envy, eyeing off new apartment blocks' vertical gardens, yet don't know where to start when it comes to greening up your own home? You've come to the right place. As increasing the flower, fruit and foliage content of our urban lives becomes more and more desirable, so too does the technology enabling it.

Read on to discover five systems for apartment gardening that'll have your place biodiversify-ing like the Amazon in no time — even if you've never planted a seed or picked out a weed in your life. Discovery Centre: Melbourne Museum. A Hobbit Hole Fit for a Human - News. Architectural fusion with nature has been taken to a new level with Villa Vals.

A Hobbit Hole Fit for a Human - News

Constructed in 2009 by Bjarne Mastenbroek (of SeARCH) and Christian Muller (of Christian Muller Architects), the villa is designed to 'completely integrate into the landscape to avoid disturbing the unspoiled nature.' The building's underground location does not diminish visual access to the external world. A central patio and slanted facade provide scope for mountain views. Given that Villa Vals' address is above thermal springs, at a 1,250-kilometre height in the Swiss Alps, this means the kind of landscape that would have had Tolkien reaching for his pen: wildflowers, singing streams and secret valleys.

World's Tallest Skyscraper to House a City - News. What does it take to build the world’s tallest skyscraper?

World's Tallest Skyscraper to House a City - News

19,000 workers, seven months, 92 elevators, and, in all likelihood, a competitive streak. This month, yet another challenge to rule supreme over the global skyline will begin when the Broad Group starts building the world’s tallest skyscraper in Changsha, China. Apart from demonstrating the latest in engineering miracles, the project aims to improve our chances of environmental sustainability, as it will serve as a ‘Sky City’. It’s a fully self-contained settlement, in which residents will have access to all the facilities expected in an urban area, only they’ll come with a view. 56 courtyards, each with ceilings at 30 foot, will provide scope for sporting activities, and 930,000 square feet will be committed to the cultivation of organic farms.

Access to all 170 floors will be achievable via elevators, or a six-mile long ramp, which will run the vertical length of the building. Activity Book. Science.gc.ca Activity Book!

Activity Book

Discover an exciting collection of science games, experiments and activities! We’ve created an updated version of our Activity Book that includes 23 exciting experiments and activities from many different departments and agencies within the Government of Canada. This new version accommodates different age groups and skill levels as the experiments and activities are tailored for different levels of difficulty and understanding.

This is a great way to encourage everyone to challenge their inner scientist. The Activity Books were assembled by the team responsible for Science.gc.ca - the official Government of Canada website for Science and Technology information and resources. Our Activity Books contain a series of individual experiments and activities that can be printed independently of each other. You can also take time to explore our previous six Activity Books. Text Equivalents Science.gc.ca Activity Book 6: Elementary Level Intermediate Level Secondary Level. Tips and strategies for teaching the nature and process of science.

Nice ship, shame about the rivets - World - smh.com.au.