Those last few thousand barrels of oil can be a real bitch to extract from their underground resting places. Some scientists are suggesting using explosives to mimic the effects of earthquakes, which increase the permeability of the oil-bearing rock. It looks good on paper, but couldn’t mimicking earthquakes potentially start one off? Now there’s a Michael Crichton story scenario…oh no, hang on, he’s pro-petroleum, isn’t he?
Technology Bites Back
I dread dentistry. It’s painful, undignified and frighteningly expensive – having a tooth replaced with a cap or bridge can cost a month’s salary, and it’s never as good as the real thing. So I’m hoping this ultrasound device that stimulates the regrowth of dental tissue works out well, and heads to these shores as soon as possible. Anything that means I could avoid having root canal surgery for a third time is more than alright in my books.
Not To Be Sniffed At
“It is a gadget straight out of a science fiction story,” says the Guardian, and they’re right – an old pulp-era story, probably, but still. What uses could you find for a smell-recording device? The inventors see it being used in medicine for diagnostic purposes, but are probably closer to the truth when they imagine its adoption by the entertainment and marketing industries.
Online Comedian
Dane Cook is a comedian who made his name on MySpace. I guess I can’t get as worked up about it as Wired, but it’s probably a good indication of how much more effective word-of-mouth advertising is on the web than mass media in the real world.
Password Protected Bullets
One way to secure guns against unauthorized use is to secure the bullets. But I have a really hard time believing that people concerned with protecting their homes are going to take the time to key in a password on their gun when there’s a bump in the night. Biometric authentication is a better approach, though from what I’ve read biometrics aren’t rock solid yet either.