• Cars

    Power Struggle

    By Paul Adams Posted on 10.28.2008 74 Comments

    The battery that will power the Chevrolet Volt weighs approximately 400 pounds and, stood on end, reaches a height of six feet. The $10,000-plus, T-shaped monolith contains 300 individual three-volt lithium-ion cells, bundled together in groups of three, then wired in series and kept from overheating by an elaborate liquid cooling mechanism.

  • Cars

    Man Flushes Arm on Bullet Train

    By Abby Seiff Posted on 10.27.2008 2 Comments

    Jack Handy once mused that if you drop your keys into molten lava, you should probably just let them go. Apparently, the same is true for cellphones dropped into toilets on trains. As first reported on the BBC, a 26-year old Frenchman got stuck up to the shoulder in a high speed TGV train toilet after dropping his cellphone into the bowl. The BBC article claims the victim “fell afoul of the suction system,” but some think that claim is either incorrect or raises more questions than answers.

  • Technology

    How NASA Plans to Fix the Hubble . . . By Tomorrow

    By Abby Seiff Posted on 10.16.2008 2 Comments

    Hubble fanboys take note: NASA is attempting to fix the inoperable space telescope right now. Cross your fingers, because the 18-year old computer code needs a serious reboot. About two weeks ago, the Hubble stopped working for the most important and the malfunction has now delayed a space shuttle upgrade mission planned for this month, which would have made the orbiting telescope about 90 times more powerful. The delay is costing NASA $10M per month, presumably because plans for a repair mission are now on hold until early next year.

  • Entertainment & Gaming

    Seeing Red

    By Paul Adams Posted on 10.15.2008 2 Comments

    Last week, we investigated the principle of conservation of angular momentum on a spinning carousel. In this episode we illustrate the linear version of the same principle -- conservation of linear momentum -- as illustrated by the physics-based computer game Red. The goal of the game is to avoid being crushed by a relentless barrage of incoming meteorites, by deflecting them with cannon balls. Understanding a little bit about conservation of momentum is a consolation in the face of the reality that sooner or later you are going to get flattened.


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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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