Ratings

Entertainment & Gaming

Levitation and Precession

By Paul Adams Posted on 4.22.2009 3 Comments

For a beautiful demonstration of both magnetic force and gyroscopic motion, let's contemplate the Levitron. This novelty toy (which even now sits on my shelf waiting for a quick spin around the block) consists of a magnetic base upon which you spin a magnetic gyroscope. Both the bottom of the gyroscope and the top of the base contain magnetic north poles, and therefore they repel each other. However, try as you might, you'll never be able to balance the magnet above the base without spinning the top. Why is this?

Science

Pharaoh’s Feminine Figure Explained

By Abby Seiff Posted on 1.5.2009 6 Comments

The Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaton’s voluptuous body shape and elongated head and neck, recorded in ancient depictions of the male ruler, have long perplexed historians. But now Irwin Braverman, a professor of dermatology and an expert on visual diagnosis at the Yale University School of Medicine, is offering a theory on the characteristics, which are not found in representations of other pharaohs: Akhenaton may have suffered from two genetic disorders that affect body shape.

Science

This Machine Might* Save the World

By Paul Adams Posted on 12.23.2008 38 Comments

The source of endless energy for all humankind resides just off Government Street in Burnaby, British Columbia, up the little spit of blacktop on Bonneville Place and across the parking lot from Shade-O-Matic blind manufacturers and wholesalers. The future is there, in that mostly empty office with the vomit-green walls -- and inside the brain of Michel Laberge, 47, bearded and French-Canadian.

Gadgets

My Dream Camera

By Paul Adams Posted on 12.12.2008 3 Comments

No, it's not a wish list. It's the Panasonic LX-3. Zoom range too small? Whatever.

The Environment

The Amphibial Canary is Dead

By taylorhengen Posted on 11.23.2008 7 Comments

While canaries are yet to raise the red flag on pesticide exposure, new research from the University of Pittsburgh shows that "ten of the world's most popular pesticides can decimate amphibian populations when mixed together even if the concentration of the individual chemicals are within limits considered safe." 'Decimate', here, is not hyperbole.