The Daily Flash -Eco, Space, Tech (10/30)
‘Impossible’ Device Could Propel Flying Cars, Stealth Missiles
The Emdrive is an ‘impossible’ electromagnetic drive that generates thrust from a closed system. To critics, it’s flat-out junk science, not even worth thinking about. But its inventor, Roger Shawyer, has doggedly continued his work, and, as Danger Room reported last year, Chinese scientists claimed to have validated his math and were building their own version.
What Mars Needs Is an Armada of Robots and Blimps
Airships may be the key component in a new robotic system for exploring the celestial bodies most likely to harbor life like Mars and Jupiter’s moon, Titan. “The balloon or airship has a lot of advantages: It’s buoyant, so it keeps its altitude and you do not need to invest energy to keep it afloat,” said Wolfgang Fink, who led the work at Cal Tech’s Visual and Autonomous Exploration Systems Research Laboratory, before accepting an appointment at the University of Arizona. “It has a lot of advantages, especially in places like Titan, which has a dense atmosphere that’s perfect for an airship.”
East-west climate row at EU talks
Merkel is a key player at the summit, chaired by Swedish PM Reinfeldt
EU leaders have begun a summit in Brussels deeply divided over how much money to offer developing nations to cope with climate change..
Stellar Blast a Record Breaker
Astronomers have confirmed that an exploding star spotted by Nasa's Swift satellite is the most distant cosmic object to be detected by telescopes.
Toyota Creates Its Own Flower Species to Gobble Harmful Gases
Automakers make cars and trucks, no surprises there. Some even make other interesting things, like Honda, which also builds motorcycles, jets, robots and solar cells. But up until now, we haven't been able to think of any car companies that develop their own species of flowers. Thankfully, Toyota has reportedly stepped in to correct that oversight by creating two derivatives of the cherry sage and gardenia at its factory in Toyota City, Japan.
Apple TV 3.0 just dropped and they promise it'll make your HDTV "everything it should be." But what to do if you don't have an HDTV to begin with? Today's Deals can help you sort that out.
The more you look at the writhing orgy of plugs in the world, the sillier it seems. If you buy a phone charger at the airport in Florida, you won't be able to use it when your flight lands in France. If you buy a three-pronged adapter for le portable in Paris, you might not be able to plug it in when your train drops you off in Germany. And when your flight finally bounces to a stop on the runway in London, get ready to buy a comically large adapter to tap into the grid there. But that's cool! You can take the same adapter to Singapore with you! And parts of Nigeria! Oh yeah, and if said charger doesn't support 240v power natively, make sure you buy a converter, or else it might explode
Comments