• Technology

    Will Sleeping in a Centrifuge Help Combat Muscle Atrophy in Space?

    By Stuart Fox Posted on 7.23.2009 16 Comments

    Of the many obstacles preventing manned travel to Mars, spending over a year weightless ranks as one of the biggest. Extended weightlessness degrades the muscles and bones of astronauts so thoroughly that by the time they get to Mars, they may not have the strength to walk on it.

    7.23.2009 at 09:29pm - Comment by conquerall

    well you could go nakey GTO if you don't want to wear a suit lol

  • Technology

    Will Sleeping in a Centrifuge Help Combat Muscle Atrophy in Space?

    By Stuart Fox Posted on 7.23.2009 16 Comments

    Of the many obstacles preventing manned travel to Mars, spending over a year weightless ranks as one of the biggest. Extended weightlessness degrades the muscles and bones of astronauts so thoroughly that by the time they get to Mars, they may not have the strength to walk on it.

    7.23.2009 at 01:49pm - Comment by conquerall

    I'm a novice Physicist at best and I do like the centrifuge idea but I had another thought. Why not just run a huge electromagnet the length of the ship or part of the ship? Run the current in a manner to where the magnetic field would create a downward force. Small metal plates distributed throughout a blue jump suit would feel the attraction and pull down on the astronaut(simulating gravity). If you made the plates small enough and the magnet strong enough, couldn't you amplify the magnets strength to deflect at least some cosmic radiation? One device solving two issues. I realize this could interfere with certain electronics or disrupt hard drives but there are fixes for that. As for a power source, either solar or a "small" submarine nuke plant if the ships current power output isn't sufficient. - As for the ship blowing up and releasing radioactive material...not as big of deal if it blows up in space just need to make sure to triple check the shuttles before launch.

  • Technology

    Kaguya Spots Uranium, Raising Hope of Nuclear-Powered Lunar Colonies

    By John Brandon Posted on 6.30.2009 16 Comments

    Before its planned end-of-life crash landing, which it broadcasted dutifully in HD, Japan's Kaguya lunar craft used its gamma ray spectrometer to find the "first conclusive evidence" of uranium on the lunar surface.

    7.1.2009 at 11:36am - Comment by conquerall

    *Responding to Skillet* Not sure what type of reactors they plan on using, but you can run a nuclear plant with unenriched uranium. They are called Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors. Here is a link to multiple reactor types and the pros/cons of each: http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf32.html And for all the go-green people, nuclear power is fantastic and safe. As for those worried about the contaminated waste, we can severely reduce waste produced in the US if we lift some idiotic rules that force nuclear reactors to not transport the material off-site and begin re-enriching like the french have for many years. Only like 5% of a fuel rod is actually used before it becomes too contaminated to be efficient in fission. So you send the 95% back to be re-enriched instead of packaging it as useless. Personally I would love to see a solar+nuke powering the future.

  • Technology

    International Space Station to Get a Big, Beautiful Window

    By Posted on 7.1.2009 8 Comments

    We've seen private tourists and urine-recycling water filters make their way onto the International Space Station, but breathtaking views have never been the station's strongest selling point. Because of external hazards such as solar radiation and orbiting space debris, the biggest window is only 20 inches. Until now, that is.

    7.1.2009 at 11:21am - Comment by conquerall

    Would be nice to see how they are accomplishing this feat. Is it just a super thick glass window or are they utilizing some sort of plasma technology?(read some articles on concepts utilizing plasma for larger windows). Its my understanding that the vacuum of space is also a reason for minimal window sizes because the differences in pressure. Please correct me if I'm wrong....

  • Gadgets

    The Top 100 Innovations of 2008

    By PopSci Staff Posted on 12.9.2008 7 Comments

    12.10.2008 at 08:42pm - Comment by conquerall

    hax! There are only 96 inventions or advances lol 3 are repeated and the last one just gives a link to view something else Then again I guess 96 doesn't sound as cool lol

  • Science

    When Is Carbon an Electrical Conductor?

    By Adam Weiner Posted on 9.30.2008 13 Comments

    And the $64,000 question is ... does graphite conduct electricity? It certainly does! The video demonstration displays this quite convincingly. Graphite is an interesting material, an allotrope of carbon (as is diamond). It displays properties of both metals, and nonmetals. However, like a metal, graphite is a very good conductor of electricity due to the mobility of the electrons in its outer valence shells.

    10.2.2008 at 09:23pm - Comment by conquerall

    looks like a lightsaber :-P



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