Thorium-Fueled Automobile Engine Needs Refueling Once a Century By: David Russell Schilling | October 28th, 2013 Thorium Concept Car - Image Courtesy www.greenpacks.com There are now over one billion cars traveling roads around the world directly and indirectly costing trillions of dollars in material resources, time and noxious emissions. Laser Power Systems (LPS) from Connecticut, USA, is developing a new method of automotive propulsion with one of the most dense materials known in nature: thorium. Cadillac World Thorium Fuel Concept (Image Courtesy www.cutedesign.com) Current models of the engine weigh 500 pounds, easily fitting into the engine area of a conventionally-designed vehicle. The idea of using thorium is not new. According to Robert Hargraves, “low or non-CO2 emitting energy sources must be cheaper than coal or will ultimately fail to displace fossil fuels.” Thorium may also be the answer to the world’s nuclear energy conundrum and Wikipedia provides some of its advantages: Thanks for reading! David Schilling
Cotton gin "The First Cotton Gin", an engraving from Harper's Magazine, 1869. This carving depicts a roller gin, which preceded Eli Whitney's invention.[1] A cotton gin is a machine that quickly and easily separates cotton fibers from their seeds, allowing for much greater productivity than manual cotton separation.[2] The fibers are processed into clothing or other cotton goods, and any undamaged seeds may be used to grow more cotton or to produce cottonseed oil and meal. Although simple handheld roller gins have been used in India and other countries since at least 500 AD,[3] the first modern mechanical cotton gin was created by American inventor Eli Whitney in 1793, and patented in 1794. It used a combination of a wire screen and small wire hooks to pull the cotton through, while brushes continuously removed the loose cotton lint to prevent jams. History Rationale Early cotton gins Between the 12th and 14th centuries, dual-roller gins appeared in India and China. Eli Whitney's patent References
Australian Researchers Create 3D Interior Map of Italy's Leaning Tower of Pisa Australian researchers have created a 3D interior map of Italy's Leaning Tower of Pisa. The researchers used Zebedee, a handheld 3D mapping system developed by CSIRO, Australia's national science agency. Zebedee can scan an environment as the operator walks through it. Zebedee's design features a laser scanner mounted on a spring, which provides a lightweight solution for ensuring a wide scanning field of view. The spring converts the natural motions of the operator into a sweeping motion of the scanner. Dr. Dr. Photos: CSIRO
Happy Ada Lovelace Day! | Belle Jar The ‘Enchantress of Numbers’ herself Heard of Ada Lovelace? Of the dozen or more people I’ve quizzed on this over the past few days, only two knew the name and neither could say exactly who she was or what she was famous for. Upon being informed that she is widely considered to be the world’s first computer programmer, all were surprised… Here follows a quick crib sheet on the lady herself: Augusta Ada King (née Byron), born in 1815, was actually the daughter of Lord Byron, although she never knew him as he died when she was eight months old. Young Ada was always fascinated by machines and adored mathematics, science and logic and was mentored by Mary Sommerville, another brilliant female mathematician. This is only the briefest of brief delves into the life of a fascinating figure who continues to inspire women and girls in the fields of maths and science to this day. Happy Ada Lovelace Day, one and all! Like this: Like Loading...
'All Clear' UV Light Bottle Purifies Water in 60 Seconds On Friday afternoon, I plugged my water bottle into a laptop USB port for a charge. Saturday found me in the woods of Wisconsin, dipping the bottle into a lake then pressing a button to purify its contents for a drink. The $99 bottle, called the All Clear UV Microbiological Water Purifier, is made by CamelBak. It uses UV light to render microbes harmless, letting you grab a drink almost anywhere. Specifically, the UV light “destroys microbe DNA,” as CamelBak puts it. Bacteria, water-borne viruses, and protozoan cysts, including the troublesome cryptosporidium breed, are rendered benign by the light. The full All Clear kit This technology is not new. In the outdoors industry, Hydro-Photon has sold its UV-based SteriPEN product for more than 10 years. CamelBak’s All Clear is a similar concept but with a different design. The goal with All Clear is simple and quick purification. Digital countdown on UV cap That’s it. The system is slick. Also, not all water works in the system.
A Secret History Of Women In Science, From Marie Curie To Florence Nightingale “This is not the run-of-the-mill stuff you can find at a library,” curator Ronald Smeltzer says. But the exhibit doesn’t just focus on the scientific discoveries of the female scientists. There’s plenty of artifacts that add a biographical dimension to some of the famous (and not-so-famous) names. “We were trying to embed the human interest story in the scientific life,” Smeltzer says. Whether you’re looking to further explore the work of a female scientist you already know about, or ready to discover a totally new researcher, the exhibit has something to offer. Florence Nightingale, Passionate Statistician What do you think of when you hear the name “Florence Nightingale?” Actually, one of Nightingale’s greatest legacies is related to math. The number of soldier deaths in the Crimean War attributed to enemy fire is in red; the number of deaths attributed to disease is in green. courtesy Ronald Smeltzer On a tour of America, Curie gifted the machine to the Mutter Museum in Philadelphia.
3D-Printed Human Cells Will Replace Animal Testing in Five Years, Says Bioengineer Expert 3D-printing could soon bring about an end to animal abuse in drug testing, according to bioengineering expert Alan Faulkner-Jones. Speaking at the 3D Printshow Hospital in London, the Heriot Watt University researcher said that 3D-printed human cells could eliminate the need to test new drugs on animals as soon as 2018. Using a bio-printer hacked together from a MakerBot printer, Faulkner-Jones demonstrated how human stem cells can be printed into micro-tissues and micro-organs. These miniature biological systems, otherwise known as systems-on-a-chip, not only resemble humans genetically, but they also respond as if it is a living miniature organ. This allows for more effective drugs tests that show side effects first hand. Faulkner-Jones believes the technology could replace cruel and often inaccurate animal testing within five years. What’s more, it may also become possible to personalize drugs by testing them with the cells of the person who actually needs them.
Invisible women of science – now appearing at the Royal Society | Uta Frith | Science Women in science have an image problem. It is not so much deciding whether they should aspire to the hard image of being a scientist or the soft image of being feminine, it is the more serious problem of invisibility. Nowhere is this more obvious than in our august institutions, our imposing portrait galleries and grand museums. There is a dearth of dignified portraits of women scientists produced by distinguished artists. There are historical reasons for this. In the Royal Society's buildings there are many portraits of great scientists, mainly donated, and many portraits of past presidents, usually commissioned. Preparing for this exhibition made it strikingly clear that there is a void in representations of women in science. Perhaps the time has come to take some steps towards a change. Garry Kennard is an artist who has long been making links between science and art. What does science say? Previous work suggested that men would speak longer than women in this sort of situation.
'Evidence of life from outer space' in Earth's atmosphere Scientists believe they have found the first evidence of life arriving to Earth from space, which could "completely change our view of biology and evolution". The team, from the University of Sheffield, made the discovery after sending a balloon high into the stratosphere. On its return they found organisms that were too large to have originated from Earth. Professor Milton Wainwright, who led the team, said the results could be revolutionary. The balloon was launched near Chester and carried microscope studs which were only exposed to the atmosphere when it reached heights of between 22 and 27km from the planet. It later landed safely and intact near Wakefield when scientists discovered they had captured a fragment of biological material, which were unusual due to their size. If life does continue to arrive from space then we have to completely change our view of biology and evolution. – Professor Milton Wainwright, department of molecular biology and biotechnology
Forgotten women of science win recognition online | Science By late afternoon scores of red women on Sam Haskell's list had turned blue: female scientists, some dead and some living, many immensely distinguished, some geniuses, but whose names have almost been forgotten even by their peers. Up the grand marble staircase of the Royal Society in London, under the imposing gold and white library ceiling, women and a handful of men had gathered, joined by many more online across the world, to correct a gross injustice. The list gradually changing colour on Haskell's screen represented hundreds of women scientists who have either never had a Wikipedia entry, or whose lives and work are dismissed in a stub a few lines long. The event in London was booked out for weeks, but many more joined online, some starting work days ago. "It is shameful that when you ask people, including scientists, to name well-known female scientists and engineers, they can barely get past Marie Curie," she said. Other stubs were expanded. "Well honestly!"
Collapse Video Of A Glacier The Size Of A City | You’re Going To Find This Hard To Believe! On May 28, 2008, Adam LeWinter and Director Jeff Orlowski filmed a historic breakup at the Ilulissat Glacier in Western Greenland. The calving event lasted for 75 minutes and the glacier retreated a full mile across a calving face three miles wide. The height of the ice is about 3,000 feet, 300-400 feet above water and the rest below water. "CHASING ICE" captures largest glacier calving ever filmed - Official Video "Chasing Ice" won the award for Excellence in Cinematography at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, and the Best Documentary from the International Press Association. It has won over 30 awards at festivals worldwide. Source:Unofficial Networks Related Posts: