• DIY

    Trap Lightning in a Block

    By John Mahoney Posted on 2.15.2008 16 Comments

    There are many unusual things to see around Newton Falls, Ohio—the Wal-Mart with hitching posts for Amish buggies, the Army base with helicopters and tanks proudly arranged on hills—but I was here for the most unusual thing of all: the local Dynamitron. I was here to make frozen lightning.

  • Science

    The Two Day Battery

    By Gregory Mone Posted on 1.15.2008 9 Comments

    Stanford researchers have figured out a way to incorporate silicon nanowires into rechargeable lithium ion batteries and extend their life from 4 to 40 hours. The work, described in a paper in Nature Nanotechnology, could lead to iPods, laptops and camcorders that could be run nearly for an entire weekend without requiring a re-charge. Of course, this is still in the lab stage, and there are undoubtedly quite a few steps and hurdles between the campus and commercialization, but we're optimists. So, here's to the end of the ABC (Always Be Charging) Rule of electronics.—Gregory Mone Via News.com

  • Science

    A Fabric That Will Charge Your Gadgets

    By Abby Seiff Posted on 2.14.2008 3 Comments

    Forgot your charger? No problem. Scientists have developed a microfiber fabric that can generate enough electricity to juice up a cell phone or a mini-music player. If turned into clothing, the fabric would get its power from the action of your daily movement. The material uses zinc-oxide nanowires that are arranged in pairs—one wire in each grouping is coated with gold, and serves as the electrode. When the fabric moves, the wires move and bend, and the fabric translates this mechanical energy into electricity.

  • Technology

    Navy Tests 32-Megajoule Railgun

    By John Mahoney Posted on 2.1.2008 18 Comments

    Um, wow. This video comes from a test firing of the Navys Elecromagnetic Railgun (EMRG), which was carried out yesterday at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, Virginia. The gun—which generates a powerful electromagnetic field to hurl projectiles at extremely high speeds—is rated at 32 megajoules, but the railgun engineers have to work up to that number slowly: this test was designed to reach a record-setting muzzle energy rating of 10 MJ. (The actual number turned out to be 10.64 MJ, according to Collin Babb with the Office of Naval Research.) One big question this video begs is, what causes the giant fireball?

  • Entertainment & Gaming

    A Virus for V Day

    By Abby Seiff Posted on 2.14.2008 2 Comments

    The Storm Worm, malicious software spread via spam, has been so active in recent weeks that the FBI has even gotten involved. The agency posted an alert on the home page of its Web site Tuesday: If you unexpectedly receive a Valentines Day e-card, be careful. It may not be from a secret admirer, but instead might contain the Storm Worm virus.

  • Entertainment & Gaming

    Spore to go on Sale in September

    By Abby Seiff Posted on 2.13.2008 4 Comments

    Spore, the highly-anticipated new game from Sims creator Will Wright, is set to go on sale this September. The game, which we described in detail in this article on Wright, was supposed to come out last year. But the delays arent a huge surprise considering that Wright has invented a game that essentially lets players manage the evolution of creatures from single-cell organisms into complex, space-conquering life forms.



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