• The Environment

    Ethanol—Better Than We Thought?

    By Sean Captain Posted on 1.29.2009 22 Comments

    Common sense says that burning a plant you regrow every year is better for the atmosphere than spewing out carbon dioxide that’s been buried underground for eons. But the truth behind biofuels and petroleum often seems to defy common sense. Neither ethanol nor gasoline bubbles out of the ground ready to put in your tank. So to figure out which one does less environmental harm, you have to calculate all the energy that goes into making it.

    2.2.2009 at 10:14am - Comment by mythrz

    It seems to me that alot of people are worried about replacing natural land/forest growth with corn fields. I say we'll build up not out. We'll probrably build the corn fields vertically in buildings or whatever like they've been talking about for sometime. So no worries.

  • Technology

    Boot Camp for Gaming Addicts, Gaming Addicts for Boot Camp

    By Jeremy Hsu Posted on 1.7.2009 4 Comments

    There's playing online games, and then there's collecting 68 virtual "husbands" in a game. That's when Chinese parents intervene and send their wayward offspring to a boot camp staffed by soldiers of the People's Liberation Army.

    1.7.2009 at 10:13am - Comment by mythrz

    Question: It's the parents choice to send them to boot camp or is the Chinese Government making them do it? I'm sure if a kid was playing CS and his parents came in and said "Son, your going off to fake boot camp where you get to play with Airsoft Guns with other CS kids like yourself" the kid would willingly leave his keyboard behind. Nothing like real life interaction. So yeh, great idea I suppose so long as there remains a choice. As for WoW players... Will they have a WoW Boot Camp? I would love to run around as a Tuaren dude!

  • The Environment

    Salt Water Rising

    By the Editors of E - The Environmental Magazine Posted on 1.5.2009 28 Comments

    Dear EarthTalk: With all the talk of rising seas, what could happen to the rivers that flow into the oceans? Will they reverse flow? Will rising seas back up into fresh water lakes? And what happens to our groundwater should saltwater flow backwards into it? -- Sandy Smith, concerned Michigander

    1.6.2009 at 12:36pm - Comment by mythrz

    For the GW advocates... Change is inevitable, nothing you do will stop that change. For the Anti-GW advocates... Change is inevitable, nothing you say will keep things the same. The Universe, Galaxy, Solar System, and EARTH is dynamic! I suppose I shall inherit the Earth... pity for the rest of you.



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December 2009: Best of What's New

In our December issue, Popular Science names the 100 best innovations of the year: bombproof wallpaper, self-parking cars, the fastest helicopter, and 97 more. Plus inventor profiles and videos.

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