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Musicman24286

Science

Modified Algae Produce Clean, Easy Hydrogen

By Clay Dillow Posted on 11.16.2009 15 Comments
Algae get a lot of airtime as a possible future source of biofuels to wean us from dirty fossil fuels, but even biofuels don't go so far as to eliminate hydrocarbons (and their constituent carbon emissions) from our energy diet. But a different use for algae could prove a better solution to the future of fuel. A new process that produces clean, sustainable hydrogen from photosynthesis in algae could change all that. The means of manufacturing clean, usable hydrogen has heretofore required a high-energy process that drastically dilutes the upside.

11.16.2009 at 07:37pm - Comment by Musicman24286

I don't know exact number, but I believe internal combustion engines are around 10% efficient. Hydrogen fuel cells coupled with high-efficiency motors are bound to be more efficient than this, making hydrogen more energy-dense and therefore more valuable than gasoline. Now if we could only solve the problems of transportation and storage, I would buy a GM Hy-wire tomorrow.
Gadgets

Scientists Find Fundamental Maximum Limit for Processor Speeds

By Adrian Covert Posted on 10.23.2009 21 Comments
Silicon wafers. Quantum computing. Light-based processors. Any way you slice it, scientists say that processor speeds will absolutely max out at a certain point, regardless of how hardware or software are implemented. Lev Levitin and Tommaso Toffoli, two researchers at Boston University, devised an equation which sets a fundamental limit for quantum computing speeds. According to their studies, a perfect quantum computer can generate 10 quadrillion more operations per second than fastest current processors. They estimate that the maximum speed will be reached in 75 years.

10.12.2009 at 04:07pm - Comment by Musicman24286

We are spoiled anyways with how fast computers have gotten. I am content with the speed of my personal computer. Supercomputers will still take time, and if we reach a limit for that, so be it. But the public has nothing to worry about, unless the rapidly accelerating tech-savvy society becomes so fast-paced that it actually notice nanosecond differences in computing speeds.
Technology

Coming Soon: An Unblinking "Gorgon Stare" For Air Force Drones

By Eric Hagerman Posted on 8.27.2009 16 Comments
The military’s unblinking eye in the sky, which keeps watch over operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, is about to get even beadier. A new multi-camera sensor the U.S. Air Force is adding to its killer spy drones will exponentially broaden the area troops can monitor, and the technology lets a dozen users simultaneously grab different slices of the image. Called the Gorgon Stare, it represents the next big step in unmanned combat aircraft.

8.27.2009 at 12:56am - Comment by Musicman24286

I don;t think TechnoFreakFace literally suggests using his plane in war, but rather a small and light system with a camera used only for reconnaissance that would be cheap. Using a plastic plane with the electronics and software to use encrypted data, satellite uplink, and real time video streaming would make this a very effective platform. However, since the Predator and Reaper can fly at such high altitudes, there is little risk of them being shot down. If we can develop a better training program to avoid planes being accidentally crashed, I say buy as many as we can get, and don't settle for a smaller platform without missle capabilities, no matter how cheap they may be.
Technology

NASA's Plan For Detecting Potentially Threatening Asteroids Is in Financial Jeopardy

By Jeremy Hsu Posted on 8.12.2009 6 Comments
Congress charged NASA with finding 90 percent of nearby space rocks greater than 140 meters (460 ft) by 2020. Now the National Research Council warns that the space agency will fall short of that goal without more funding.

8.12.2009 at 06:36pm - Comment by Musicman24286

wouldn't it be cheaper to just hire Bruce Willis an an all-star mining team for a few weeks? too easy I think a manned mission to an asteroid would be pretty sweet, if we could pull it off. Maybe bring them in far earth orbit and mine them while we mine the moon?
Science

Update: What Happens in Texas Doesn’t Stay In Texas

By Christine Cyr Posted on 4.1.2009 111 Comments
For months, scientists, educators, and textbook publishers across the country have waited as members of the Texas Board of Education squabbled over whether to remove three little words in their sciences standards: “truths and weaknesses.” The controversy? The language—supported by creationists—requires biology teachers in Texas to discuss possible weaknesses in evolutionary theory, and has had implication for how evolution is taught across the country.

3.30.2009 at 04:49pm - Comment by Musicman24286

As a high school student, I feel a sense of pride in history class when I hear how biased and close minded we used to be, and seeing how far we have come. And then I read things like this. Why should anybody be opposed to teaching children the truth, the whole truth, and all sides of the truth? One important thing many students still don't get: there are holes in science. We can't just cover them up. Kudos to Texas for allowing students to further enlighten their viewpoints.
Technology

Nuclear Moon Bases

By Dawn Stover Posted on 11.21.2008 25 Comments
When lunar astronauts flick on their televisions after a long day of prospecting, they’ll have a trashcan-size nuclear reactor to thank for their nightly dose of prime time. NASA, looking past the already daunting task of simply getting humans to the moon by 2020, recently started considering proposals for ways to power lunar habitats. Batteries and fuel cells provide only short-term solutions. Solar power would be limited where a single night lasts as long as 354 hours. So space-agency officials have started making plans to go nuclear.

11.20.2008 at 11:16pm - Comment by Musicman24286

Since the moon has 1/6th the gravity of earth and no atmosphere, I see no reason we couldn't periodically send rocket capsules of nuclear waste to be incinerated in the sun
The Environment

Plug In Your Prius

By the Editors of E - The Environmental Magazine Posted on 11.6.2008 9 Comments
Dear EarthTalk: I understand that Toyota is planning to sell a plug-in Prius that will greatly improve the car's already impressive fuel efficiency. Will I be able to convert my older (2006) Prius to make it a plug-in hybrid vehicle? -- Albert D. Rich, Kamuela, Hawaii Toyota is readying a limited run of a plug-in Prius, which can average 100 miles per gallon, for use in government and commercial fleets starting in 2009. Toyota will monitor how these cars, which will have high-efficiency lithium-ion batteries that haven't been fully tested yet, will hold up under everyday use.

11.6.2008 at 07:24pm - Comment by Musicman24286

Chipper Smoltz- The plug-in conversion kits are too expensive to pay themselves off in any short amount of time; the fuel savings are too little. The reason why people convert is not to save money on gas, but to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
Technology

Hijacking the Red Planet

By Posted on 1.22.2008 2 Comments
Click here for an illustrated guide to Mars Society founder Robert Zubrin´s six-step plan for inhabiting Mars, and for details on entering our contest to design the new flag of a freshly terraformed Red Planet-you could win a free subscription!

9.29.2008 at 07:20pm - Comment by Musicman24286

This used to be an interesting article, but i wish the slideshow was in the right order
Entertainment & Gaming

Sweatin' For The Planet

By Posted on 7.18.2008 4 Comments
No two fads are growing faster than getting fit and going green. Is it possible that by achieving the former, one could also accomplish the latter? Harnessing human movement has long been a holy grail of renewable energy, but real-life implementations have been relegated to advertising stunts and commercially impractical gadgets. But ReRev.com, a startup company from St. Petersburg, Florida, thinks its technology can let us improve our own health, and that of our planet, by working up a sweat.

7.18.2008 at 02:09pm - Comment by Musicman24286

I thought of this about a year ago. I'm glad somebody finally had the sense to harness all of that wasted energy. There is a way to harness vocal chords. It's called a microphone, and it produces electricity, and with the right wiring setup you could run a very small device off of it.
Science

Title IX Takes on Science

By Posted on 7.18.2008 10 Comments
Men once greatly outnumbered women in collegiate athletics—Title IX brought equality. Men currently outnumber women in science—could Title IX have the same effect?

7.18.2008 at 01:59pm - Comment by Musicman24286

unless you were trying to make a subtle point, I think you meant "as a nation, we need more women in science." Let women choose their career path without any obstacles, and if that career isn't science, don't worry about it.