The problem-plagued biodiesel-powered boat trying to break the global circumnavigation record is back on track–and on track to break the record! I’m going to read up on this on, of course, the captain’s blog (he doesn’t use star dates…though I think he should).
Tags: biodiesel
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Nuclear power gets a seriously bad rap. With core meltdowns, radiation, and waste toxic for millennia you can understand why. The other side of the coin is that nuclear energy doesn’t product CO2 and is pretty darn efficient. Of course we’re talking about power generation based on nuclear fission. That is the same stuff as the first atomic bombs. Fission splits atoms (usually enriched U236) to release energy. Problem is the radiation and waste. Now nuclear fusion is a different beast. That’s the stuff of modern nuclear weapons (thermonuclear to be exact). It …read more
This proposed building with water and convection powered AC, solar power, and hydrogen generation for night-time electrical power generation (via fuel cells) has been covered by several blogs and sites (Engadget, Metaefficient, Der Spiegel). I think it’s encouraging that an oil-rich nation is using the renewable resources readily at hand (sun, ocean water) to generate power and cool the building.
This skyscraper, to be built in Dubai, is called the Burj al-Taqa (‘Energy Tower’), and it will produce 100% of its own power. The tower will have a huge (197 foot diameter) wind turbine on its roof, and arrays of …read more
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May is Mental Health Month and today (technically it isn’t theme day yet, but it’s close enough) is Sci-Health Theme Day–so you can see where this is going.
Regular readers know that I suffer from depression and have for many years. I do take medication for it so it’s well controlled at the moment. I’m also a touch (no, not touched) ADD … it explains a lot doesn’t it. Regardless I was really loathe to talk about me for this theme day, so I wracked my brain for a bit and then remembered one of my favourite movies (and since the …read more
This is HUGE. Sure a successful quantum computer has been tested, but making the chips is the important thing. Without chips that can be mass produced, making quantum computers is just as much a dream as warp drive. Now … we’re a step closer:
Enter RIKEN, a team of Japanese researchers who now are able to “controllably couple qubits.” Thought not the first to accomplish this (a team at UC Berkley did so last year), the Japanese findings confirm that qubit coupling is the real deal. Wired calls qubit coupling “analogous to the wiring of transistors on a circuit board. When …read more
Okay a bit cheeky, but these concepts from some engineering students for wind turbines over the highway could generate enough juice to power traffic signals and other important things for highway safety.
They might look far out, but for windy highways say in the mountain passes, they could probably be easier to deal with than the typical windmill style.
From Crunch Gear: Highway Wind Turbines
Technorati tags: wind power, alternative energy
One of the huge problems with solar energy has been a materials science one. Silicon-based cells are expensive, fragile, and have limited places they can be applied (easily). Looks like that’s all going to change:
New solar cells developed by Massey University don’t need direct sunlight to operate and use a patented range of dyes that can be impregnated in roofs, window glass and eventually even clothing to produce power.
This means teenagers could one day be wearing jackets that will recharge their equivalents of cellphones, iPods and other battery- driven devices. Source: Solar power breakthrough at Massey – New Zealand …read more
I love flying toy planes. Heck my 12th Grade physics science project was all about that. This was the post I mentioned in my last last post:
Let’s face it: GeekDad projects are sometimes more fun for the older kids than for the younger ones. So when it comes to flying planes at the park, we’re always looking for something that everyone can do.
We’ve found that with the Hobbico line of free-fly electric planes. They’re amazing. Ranging from $12-$15, they’re beautifully-made with built-up foam bodies and electric motors, rechargeable batteries and chargers. They range from a toy-like 14″ wingspan to a …read more
Steve Jurvetson is the Geek Dad over at Wired and he’s onto something here:
When an appliance dies, I remove the power cord, and I help guide the disassembly. For consumer electronics, a small assortment of screwdrivers will do the trick, as well as a set of small Torx wrenches for Apple products and cell phones. Remember to look under the stickers for hidden screws. Old laptops are especially fun, and don’t forget to check out all the LCD light distribution layers (but be careful with the small fluorescent bulb) Source: Geekdad – Wired News Photo from Flickr
Haven’t you always wanted …read more
You know what yesterday’s post about the kid who made a fusion rector in his basement reminded me of? Star Trek: First Contact. Wait, stop shaking your head and hear me out. Okay the premise of the movie is simple. Picard, et al must travel back in time to keep the Borg from stopping the first warp drive test (and thus preventing first contact and what would become Starfleet). Fine, so what’s this have to do with a 17 year old making a fusion reactor in his basement with parts from eBay?
Don’t get it yet?
Think about it. One person with …read more
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