Five amazing, clean technologies that will set us free, in this month's energy-focused issue. Also: how to build a better bomb detector, the robotic toys that are raising your children, a human catapult, the world's smallest arcade, and much more.


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Safety standards were different in 1947. My older brother had the chemistry set pictured and I have to tell you that the uranium samples were not fake at all. They lit up the phosphors in the radiation screen. A later set had an alpha emitter in a small tube with a lens. When your eyes were adapted to the dark the alpha particles caused tiny flashes of light that were visible. Nowadays even vinegar and baking soda toys come with a detailed safety guide. Probably better for kids, but it was a very different time to grow up.