To further my claim that nature has the best propulsion system solutions comes news that cephalopods (squid, octopi etc.) are the inspiration behind a new generation of vortex generators for underwater vehicles.
Monthly Archives: December 2006
Sterling’s Wired Swansong: The Post-Internet Era
Wired is currently running Bruce Sterling’s final column, in which he takes a last wide-angle look at the future of the internet, and concludes that its ubiquity will make it practically invisible – the future will be just like now, only more so, and futurism is a dead scene in a world where anyone can publish their prognostications. At the risk of sounding a little selfish, I’m hoping that less column writing might mean more books forthcoming from Captain Bruce …
Martians Already Among Us?
A new research paper hypothesises that certain strains of radiation-resistant microbes here on Earth may have inherited the characteristic from Martian antecedents, carried from the Red Planet on meteorites – and that the exchange may have been two-way. What a blow for Mars colony advocates – to discover that bacteria may have beaten us to it!
Build Your Own Factory
Fab @ Home is a wiki that shows you how to build your own fabber for your kitchen counter. ‘Cause everyone needs a resin model of… something. [engadget]
Camouflage Detecting Camera
A scientist at Heriot-Watt University has invented a video camera that can discern 30 times as many colors as the human eye. Potential applications are as diverse as identifying camouflage, finding mines, detecting cancer and screening babies for vision problems.