• 2009 Nissan GT-R

    By sway Posted on 10.22.2008 Comments

    The 2009 Nissan GT-R is the sports-car value of the year, if not the decade—a car under 80 grand whose performance matches that of a $200,000 supercar. Engineers scrutinized every component to squeeze out more performance while saving weight and money. Inside the twin-turbo, 3.8-liter V6’s aluminum engine block, the walls surrounding the pistons receive a coating that dissipates heat better than the typical, heavier cast-iron linings. The engine produces 480 horsepower and hurls the GT-R from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds—quicker than a Lamborghini Gallardo.

  • NASA Mars Lander

    By sway Posted on 10.23.2008 Comments

    Aside from actual living things, the ultimate find for planetary science is the stuff that makes life possible: water. That’s exactly what NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander found in July, when its scooping device uncovered clumps of ice buried just beneath the surface of the Martian arctic plain. Guided by a team of scientists at the University of Arizona, the Lockheed Martin–built spacecraft has been up there since May, gathering soil samples using its robotic arm and capturing the highest-resolution images of another planet ever taken.

  • Draganfly Draganflyer X6

    By sway Posted on 10.28.2008 Comments

    There are model helicopters, and then there are military unmanned aerial vehicles. The Draganflyer X6 is the first hovering craft that fits right in between. This small helicopter, the first to use six horizontal blades for a stable hover and speedy turns, is designed to supply aerial video to everyone from police to hobbyists. The pilot guides it by handheld controller while wearing video glasses that allow him to see what the chopper sees through a camera attached to a vibration-free mount on the vehicle’s belly.


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February 2012: The Future of Fun

Science is reinventing play, from extreme sports to gamification to ridiculous roller coasters to the playgrounds of tomorrow, and this issue is chock full of fun. Also, on a less fun note: Did global warming destroy my hometown?


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