The Toy Industry Association's annual toy fair had some standout 21st century innovations. Some were creepy, like the Dora the Explorer doll whose hair actually grows when you play an online beauty game. And some were just plain cool. The best thing I got my hands on: A fully electronic version of the classic Rubik's Cube. See below for details on the technology, plus exclusive video of one of the two existing prototypes.
Very unnecessary. There is no point to a touch sensitive Rubik's Cube. Just get the real, original and solve it. That's what I did...
Buried beneath the plains of Illinois is a monster of a machine designed to mince matter into its most fundamental parts. It's called a particle accelerator, and it relies on 1,000 giant superconducting magnets, 700 scientists and engineers, and more than $10 million in annual electricity bills to keep on running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Hmmm... I wonder what this incredibly small particle will be if it is ever discovered. This is especially cool to me, because I live right next to Fermilab and I go to the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, in which Dr. Lederman is the residential scholar.
From executive producer Steven Spielberg, Eagle Eye delivers everything PopSci.com fans could want in a cyber-thriller: unexpected plot twists and action sequences, two of Hollywood’s hottest young actors (the film stars Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monoghan), and a plot that is inextricably hinged on the use of cell phones, LED signs, and television screens. Leave a comment (any comment) below for a chance to win one of seven copies of Eagle Eye>. The film, on Blu-Ray, is presented in 1080p High Definition with English 5.1
This was a great movie. I went to the movies with my folks and a couple of good friends on my birthday. It was spectacular! Not only was the plot outstandingly created, but the acting and special effects were phenomonal as well! The idea of a computer with such strong AI is rather startling, and it brings up many good points like whether or not AI is worth pursuing at all. This would be a great movie to win, especially since I just got a PS3. I will be able to enjoy the superior graphics. I'd love to have it.
Why reproduce in digital form something that's worked perfectly fine for hundreds of years as an analog device? That's the question I had for Yamaha about their new AvantGrand piano. The answer: So you can save five feet, 1,100 pounds, and $80,000.
Interesting... I don't know if an expert could distinguish between this artificial and a real grand piano. It just goes to show how much technology has come from 100 years ago.
Chances are you've played Rock, Paper, Scissors, but how do you calculate your strategy, if you have one at all? In Rock, Paper, Scissors: Game Theory in Everyday Life, physicist Len Fisher points out that putting yourself in your opponent's mindset is a key to success in the game.
Wow, gaming theory must have several applications to the real world and theoretical world. It would be interesting to know how it would help in things such as studies and relationships, etc.
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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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