To develop a fast, cheap and accurate technology for determining the level of radiation exposure victims might suffer in a nuclear incident, Stanford is leading a new federally funded consortium of academic, government and industry researchers.
Insectlike ‘microids’ might walk, run, work in colonies
A new approach in the design of miniature, insectlike robots could lead to 'microids' the size of ants that move their tiny legs and mandibles using solid-state 'muscles'.
Exide Technologies Opens New Global Technology Center
Exide Technologies, a global leader in stored electrical-energy solutions, today opens its new Global Technology Center at the Company's Milton, Georgia world headquarters.
As in Lake Wobegon, Behind the Wheel, All Drivers Feel Above Average | Discoblog
The thoughts can occur to all of us when we slip behind the wheel of a car: That guy in the other lane is crazy, the old lady up ahead is driving dangerously slow, and seriously, how long is it taking that guy to make that turn? Apparently, we’re all kept warm in our cars by our smugness.
When researchers from Ottawa University polled nearly 400 drivers, ranging from driver’s license newbies to the very old, they found that all of them rated themselves favorably compared to other drivers. In other words, everyone thinks they’re above average.
The researchers asked the drivers how they would fare under different driving conditions including poor weather, emergency stops, and heavy traffic. They also asked the drivers how likely they were to have a crash, compared to an average motorist of the same sex.
The BBC reports:
All drivers, men and women, young and old, rated themselves over the “average motorist”, especially when this average motorist fell into the over 65 age category. Young men felt the most superior. Middle-aged men rated themselves as better than similarly aged drivers, and far superior to younger and older motorists. Older drivers – aged 65 plus – felt most superior when they compared themselves with motorists of the same age.
Really? So if everyone is such a great driver–who are those other people clogging up the roads and making the dumb turns?
The researchers warned that while confidence can be beneficial, it can also lead to people paying less attention when they’re behind the wheel. They suggested this overconfidence might be one of the reasons why so many young people get into accidents.
Related Content:
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DISCOVER: Driving Simulator
DISCOVER: Do Cell Phones Put Blinders on the Driver?
DISCOVER: The Physics of . . . Changing Lanes
80beats: In the Commute of the Future, Drivers Can Let a Pro Take the Wheel
Image: iStockphoto
Are Americans Becoming More Distrustful of Science? | The Intersection
Some alarming results just out from Yale and George Mason. Not only are Americans growing less convinced about global warming– either that it is happening or that it is human caused. We knew that already. But what’s more, Americans also appear less trusting of scientists in general, which is pretty alarming, as there have long been positive (if vague) sentiments towards the scientific community in this country:
The survey also found lower public trust in a variety of institutions and leaders, including scientists. For example, Americans’ trust in the mainstream news media as a reliable source of information about global warming declined by 11 percentage points, television weather reporters by 10 points and scientists by 8 points….
Finally, Americans who believe that most scientists think global warming is happening decreased 13 points, to 34 percent, while 40 percent of the public now believes there is a lot of disagreement among scientists over whether global warming is happening or not.
All of this amounts to nothing short of a complete PR nightmare. I am no public opinion specialist, but I wonder if we are seeing a trace of scandals like ClimateGate and GlacierGate in the data here. If so, it would be just more evidence (not that I needed it) that we are getting it handed to us by the skeptics, as never before….
Book Excerpt: Jesus for the Rest of Us
John Selby on how the spiritual practice of love differs from fear and judging.
New Analysis Reveals Color of Dinosaur Skin for the First Time | 80beats
As much as paleontologists have sorted out about the dinosaurs, one of the main aspects of their appearance—what color they were—has remained mysterious. But in a new Nature study, a team of British and Chinese scientists report that they found a way to unlock the color patters of one of the earliest feathery dinosaurs—it had a red mohawk, they say, with a red and white striped tail.
The dino in question is called Sinosauropteryx, which lived about 125 million years ago. Looking at fossils found in China, the team led by Mike Benton found what they think are the remains of feathers. And they found something inside the feathers that matches modern birds: melanosomes. These structures provide the melanin pigment in bird feathers (and human hair), and what color they are depends on the shape. “A ginger-haired person would have more spherical melanosomes, and a black-haired or grey-haired person would have more of the sausage-shaped structures,” said Professor Benton [BBC News].
Analyzing the Sinosauropteryx remains, the team found that spherical and sausage-shaped melanosomes alternated in its tail, which indicated to them that it would have been striped red and gray. Why would a dinosaur need a striped tail? Many birds, the living descendants of non-avian dinosaurs, use brightly colored tails for courtship displays. [National Geographic News]. They also found a “mohawk” of feathers running down its head to its back, but these showed just signs of red, not stripes.
You have to get lucky to find such evidence. Dinosaur fossils are mostly drab collections of mineralized bones. A few preserve traces of skin, and fewer still preserve structures that many scientists have argued are feathers [The New York Times]. But, Benton argues, his team’s stroke of good fortune lends more weight to the idea that birds descended from the dinosaurs called theropods, of which Sinosauropteryx was one: “Critics have said that these visible spiny structures could be shredded connective tissue. But the discovery of melanosomes within the bristles finally proves that some early dinosaurs were indeed feathered” [BBC News].
Related Content:
80beats: Model Suggests 4-Winged Dino Glided Like a Flying Squirrel
80beats: How Dinosaur Feet Evolved Into Bird Wings: New Fossil Provides Clues
80beats: Study: Velociraptor’s Cousin Had a Venomous Bite and Saber Teeth
The Loom: Moving Dinosaurs Into Technicolor
DISCOVER: Did T-Rex Taste Like Chicken?
Image: Chuang Zhao and Lida Xing
High Discharge Temperature Setpoint for Reciprocating Compressors
Does anyone know if a rule of thumb exists for calculating what the high discharge temperature shutdown set point should be for a reciprocating compressor based on the theoretical normal operating temperature of the discharge valves? The TC is installed in the discharge manifold.
England Is Next Country To Project Criminals’ Faces On Buildings [Billboards]
Huge billboards of FBI's most wanted have already been hoisted up in Times Square, but unfortunately that's not the only crim-soaked corner of the globe. Buildings across the UK are splashing scary mugs on them too, like the one above.
It's not just criminals apparently, with monuments and buildings proving to be the 21st century version of a milk carton, projecting images of missing people on them too.
A £3,000 ($4,841) projector is being used in Hampshire for ultimate exposure of the nasty wrong-doers' faces, though the brand is unknown. Anyone know? [Daily Mail]
Electronic Survey Assistance Needed
hi
il will be performing an survey in our plant. I will be survey all the electronic equipment and checking whether it is protected adequatly against lightening,faults etc. need to check whether earthing is properly done.and whether surge arrestors are installed on sensitive equipment. also
earthing
I would like to know what is the cross sectional area required for copper mat used for earthing a normal residential building? i know it will depend on the fault current and soil resistivity. but can i get some ball park figures.?is their any standards for earthing usinng copper mat for residential,
Newspapers used to be cool | Bad Astronomy
Sigh. I do so love this kind of art.
This was the art drawn by Winsor McCay for an editorial in the Chicago Herald Examiner on March 29, 1931. Does anyone know more about the article that went with this art? I’d love to see it.
Tip o’ the 100 inch to Zach Weiner
Adobe Responds to the iPad’s Lack of Flash [Flash]
As you're probably aware, the Apple iPad, like the iPhone and iPod Touch, doesn't support Flash. Apple has its reasons for this, but clearly Adobe isn't happy about it. Here's their response.
It looks like Apple is continuing to impose restrictions on their devices that limit both content publishers and consumers. Unlike many other ebook readers using the ePub file format, consumers will not be able to access ePub content with Apple's DRM technology on devices made by other manufacturers. And without Flash support, iPad users will not be able to access the full range of web content, including over 70% of games and 75% of video on the web.
If I want to use the iPad to connect to Disney, Hulu, Miniclip, Farmville, ESPN, Kongregate, or JibJab — not to mention the millions of other sites on the web — I'll be out of luck.
Adobe and more than 50 of our partners in the Open Screen Project are working to enable developers and content publishers to deliver to any device, so that consumers have open access to their favorite interactive media, content, and applications across platform, regardless of the device that people choose to use.
The main arguments against Flash running on the iPad are that it's a resource hog and a security risk. Both true! Hopefully the web is moving away from relying on Flash for videos and ugly menus, with HTML5 acting as a more-than-adequate replacement. But we're not there yet. While I can appreciate the fact that Apple is trying to keep the iPad more stable by not including Flash, the fact that it kills off most online gaming and video streaming in the process makes the tradeoff questionable. [Adobe]
Is Constellation Dead?
Anxiety rises over NASA budget, Huntsville Times
"I've read what you've read," said Steve Cook, who ran the Ares rocket component of Constellation at Marshall Space Flight Center from conception until leaving for a job in industry in September. "This is just a lot of speculation," Cook said Wednesday. "We just need to wait and see what the president does." Constellation employs about 1,500 contractor employees and 700 government workers at Marshall Space Flight Center, Cook said."
No space for Constellation? Former NASA Administrator speaks out
"I personally believe the rumors are likely to be true," said Griffin. "If they're true it's a very bad day for the nation and the space program." Griffin said tens of thousands of people will be effected by cuts."
Keith's note: Ares 1 is dead and Ares V is morphing into a commercially-provided HLV for TBD uses. The ISS will be serviced by commerical spacecraft for crew and cargo (not by Orion) and deep space "Flexible Path" missions will almost certainly use something other than Orion for crew transport. As such, there is not going to be much left of "Constellation".
Synchronous Condensers
This power plant is considering converting a generator to synchronous condenser operation. If anyone has experience with this, I would like to hear about it: challenges, cost, operational issues, maintenance issues, equipment changes, etc. There are 2 large generators (ST prime mover) on the order o
Air Mover Properties
I have an air mover. This is a unit that uses a small amount of air to drag in a larger amount of air. The problem I have is that the air is going down a small diameter tube. This tube gets momentarily blocked. This really plays with the principle of the airmover and it decides to blow air the oppos
The Google Earth Guys Have a Tough Gig [Humor]
We've seen the ordeal the Google Street View guys were put through in order to photograph every street on Earth. But what about the guys tasked with photographing the entire planet? [CollegeHumor]
MenuPages App Hits the App Store: Delicious and Free [IPhone Apps]
Do you live in New York, San Francisco, LA, Philly, Boston, Chicago, DC or South Florida? Then you have no reason not to download this app, which has stunningly complete restaurant listings with full menus for your entire city.
Since MenuPages doesn't do reservations (update: it does, though the restaurant's profile page! But only on select, OpenTable-ready restaurants) or emphasize a social function like Yelp, its strengths lie in its completeness—I've got about twice as many proper restaurants listed in my neighborhood on here than in Yelp—and raw information. With MenuPages, you're not looking up restaurants; you're looking up specific dishes, usually with listed ingredients. The app itself is minimalist, but not to a fault: listings are easy to access either manually or according to your current location, the refinement tools are just like the ones you're used to on MenuPages.com, and map/list search results are easy to sort through. And it's free. SO WONDERFULLY FREE. [MenuPages]
Interesting Astronomy Links
Here’s a collection of astronomy-related links for you which I’ve enjoyed and found useful. I am by no means implying that a site is NOT good if I haven’t listed it; good grief, there are thousands of them! These are just a few of those I’ve used, and thought you might like to look them over if you haven’t done so already.
Of course, the preface “http://” is implied for each of these links, and you don’t have to use capital letters. I did that for clarification, and to make it easier to find something if you’re just scanning down the list.
http://www.NASA.gov – This is NASA’s website, and is a great starting place for all things NASA. It’ll give you directions to set up your very own NASA page, streamlined to your interests, called “MyNASA”.
http://www.ESA.int – Here’s the European Space Agency homepage. News stories, images, videos, and additional links can be found here. ESA, like NASA, has a section for kids with great games, competitions, downloads… well, you get the general idea.
http://www.JPL.nasa.gov – While many people think of NASA and the Jet Propulsion Lab (CA Institute of Technology) as one organization, they aren’t. Their relationship is more like an extremely successful and productive marriage. You’ll find a lot of duplication between NASA’s website and this one, but you’ll also find a lot of incredible new stuff.
SOHOwww.nascom.nasa.gov – I know, the “soho” before “www” looks weird, but that’s the correct address. This is the home of SOHO, the Solar and Heliospheric observatory. This is one cool website, for a really cool project.
http://www.HUBBLEsite.org – “Out of the ordinary …out of this world.” That certainly describes Hubble, and HubbleSite. Here’s where to find all those beautiful Hubble images, extras for kids, help for educators, news about Hubble… many, many fascinating bits and pieces to keep you interested for hours. There’s even a little section on the Webb Space Telescope (not due to launch until 2014).
http://www.SPITZER.caltech.edu – Here’s where you’ll find Spitzer Space Telescope images, along with all things Spitzer. Of course, you get a lot of cross-over from NASA, JPL, and CalTech, but it’s still a great, stand-alone site.
CHANDRA.harvard.edu – Another weird address… there’s no “www” in front of “Chandra”. Among other features, this site (like HubbleSite) has a “where is Chandra right now” section that’s updated every minute. It’s great to have all of Chandra’s jaw-dropping images in one place, too.
saturn.jpl.nasa.gov – Bet you’re thinking I just lost my mind! This is the address to the CASSINI MISSION homepage. Again, no “www” in front of “saturn”. This site, along with NASA’s home page, won a WEBBY in 2009 for excellence on the internet. The Cassini Mission site won for “best science site”. Nice.
VOYAGER.jpl.nasa.gov – If it’s jaw-dropping images you’re looking for, don’t neglect this site. Welcome to the home of Voyager I and II.
MESSENGER.jhuapl.edu – Messenger’s web site. There are some great images of Mercury here that Tom and I haven’t had a chance to use yet.
antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov – The address for ASTRONOMY PICTURE OF THE DAY. This is a fairly simple, straightforward web site, which disguises the fact that you’ll find some of the most beautiful images you’ve ever seen hiding behind all that simplicity. One tip: The search engine is not designed to handle “sounds-like” searches, so you’ll need the exact spelling.
SPACEWEATHER.com – I bet you’re beginning to wonder if anything is prefaced “www” anymore. This site will give you cool images, interesting articles, and helpful links. For instance, if you go to this link today, you’ll see that tomorrow is the biggest full moon of the year (with images).
STEREO.gsfc.nasa.gov – For the best information and 3-D images of the Sun, this is the site to visit. Here is where you can see what the Sun looks like right now. The whole thing… hair/hide/fur/feathers and all.
ngm.NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.com – The home of National Geographic. Good articles, stunning images… how could I leave out National Geographic? A lot of its content is more “down to Earth”, but NatGeo is right there in space exploration and funding, too.
There, that should keep you busy for a little while if you weren’t already familiar with each of these sites. There are tons more, and you’ll find handy links to some very interesting places. If nothing else, pop over and look at how the moon will appear tomorrow.
And see? I can yap for HOURS without any encouragement.
hydraullic oil
To run hydraullic machine at load of 600 ton which oil should be used?