The 123,000 MPH Plasma Engine That Could Finally Take Astronauts To Mars By Sam Howe Verhovek
Measuring time more precisely than ever By Erika Villani
Scientists deploy genetic forensics to protect overhunted animals By Laura Allen


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The 6th annual Invention Awards are here, from an inflatable tourniquet to a better lobster trap to spring-loaded hocket skates. This issue is all about the celebration of invention.
Plus: Making synthetic biology breakthroughs in a garage, building a constantly-moving ping-pong table, and a ridiculously overpowered barbecue.
Such a propulsion system is so vital to our future exploration of space(both robotic and human), I'm surprised it hasn't caused much more of a stir than it has so far. The obvious advantage to the decrease in data recovery wait time is such a strong advocate all by itself, especially for more distant gas giants & dwarf planets. I hope the wait won't be too much longer.
The Chinese,I would imagine are already on top of this with stolen technologies.Similar to their grand announcement last week of having completed construction of the world fastest computer.Why develop such tech if we farm it out to cheap labor where they are able to deconstruct it and make such advances without the sweat-equity.
Congress really need to fund this and it's power reactor.
This is a game changer it really could open up the entire solar system.
All the safety issues are solvable.
First use pelletized ceramic metal oxide fuel which would not disperse into environment if an accident occurs.
Second design the reactor carrier to survive reentry.
All thanks to Dr. Franklin Chang-Diaz :) I'm so proud to be from Costa Rica. Long live VASIMR :)
My five year old son gets it, why not 90% of the adults on the Earth. When he found out that dinosaurs may have been blasted to extension by a stray meteor, he asked if that could happen to us. He then asked why we don't live on other planets in case this one gets hit.
Let's go now.
-- Jim