The Lightning on the Lawn Teslathon:
If you are like me and have yet to find a good use for electrical power, this video will please you: two Tesla coils playing the original Mario Brothers theme using nothing but sweet, sweet electricity. The seven-foot coils are controlled by a single laptop over a fibre optic link. Nikola Tesla, the Croatian inventor after whom the coils are named, patented the technology in 1891. The coils, a type of transformer that transfers power between circuits, are also capable of producing high-voltage electrical discharges. The world’s largest Tesla coil resides at Kakanui Point near Auckland, New Zealand, stands at 38 feet tall, and uses 130,000 watts of power. Ben Franklin would be pleased.
Link: tinyurl.com/2oll9s
Indian food gives me gas, too:
A shiny, new fleet of buses that run on compressed natural gas will soon be in use in New Delhi, India. The 525 buses are a step to reducing emissions in face of the rising numbers of diesel cars (notorious for emitting noxious exhaust). Although not completely emissions-free—CNG engines produce 90 per cent less carbon monoxide, but only 25 per cent less carbon dioxide on average—the vehicles are sure to make an impact as they are implemented on more routes. As well, legislation to replace 40,000 commercial vehicles with CNG technology is being drafted.
Link: tinyurl.com/2taq6g
You’re a star, baby:
A star located 41 light years away has broken the record for having the most planets in orbit (besides our own solar system, of course), as a fifth planet was recently discovered. Cancri 55 is similar in size to our own sun. Only after 18 years of continuous observation—and some insane mathematical calculations— could astronomers confirm the five planets in orbit. Astronomers’ ability to find these planets orbiting distant stars is improving with better technology. Alan Stern, of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA, said in a press release that “We are finding solar systems with a richness of planets and a variety of planetary types comparable to our own.” Subsequently, habitable planets with liquid water on solid surfaces could be orbiting around distant stars. If movies have taught me anything, the next step after that is an alien invasion.
Link: tinyurl.com/ywwwox
A weird organism you’ve never heard of (and might be related to):
The colugo is the last remaining representative of a mammalian order Dermoptera. According to genetic studies, this gliding animal—with flaps of skin stretched between its skinny arms and legs—is the most genetically similar to humans after primates. Using these genetic differences and rates of mutations, scientists estimate that we branched off from these distant cousins 86 million years ago to form the primate group. The rainforests of Indonesia and the Philippines are host to these bizarre creatures. They are fairly large for tree dwelling organisms, weighing from two to four pounds. Colugos have large, forward-facing eyes that are effective for binocular vision (the ability to judge distances), a key adaptation for hunting seen in many primates.
Link: tinyurl.com/3dytud
Government endorses peeing into the ocean (I was doing it anyway):
The Philippine government has approved a plan by an Australian company— appropriately named the Ocean Nourishment Company—to dump urea (a chemical found in urine) into the ocean to increase algal growth. The government hopes that the algal blooms will absorb extra carbon dioxide, but environmental activists oppose the idea, saying not enough is known about the effects of the proposed plan. Although the London Convention of 1972 does not allow for dumping waste into the ocean, pouring urea to absorb CO2 does not fall under that ruling. Fish are already peeing in the ocean—but this could become a slippery slope leading to the pumping of sewage straight into the sea in the guise of preventing global warming.
Link: tinyurl.com/2so99y
Why does science fiction always lie to me?
This comical article from cracked.com explains reasons why certain futuristic technologies are impractical. Although it would be wicked cool to have a jetpack, it would be terribly unsafe and difficult to use. And don’t expect Detroit to come out with the flying car anytime soon—the insurance premiums would be insane. Link: tinyurl.com/34u2a8
