IEEE Spectrum – Our oceans contain an estimated 4.5 billion metric tons of uranium, diluted down to a minuscule 3.3 parts per billion. The idea of extracting uranium from seawater has been kicking around for decades now, but the materials and processes to do so may finally be economically viable. The best method works like …
Four of the nation’s 14 high-speed rail lines have been profitable eversince bullet trains started full-speed, intercity service in China two years ago, giving impetus to a Ministry of Railways expansion. Passenger ticket revenues have so far matched expenses — including debt payments — for the busy Beijing-Tianjin, Shanghai-Nanjing, Beijing-Shanghai and Shanghai-Hangzhou lines, a source …
North Dakota has reached another oil production record of 660,332 barrels of oil per day. It was over 20,000 barrels of oil per day more than the previous month. It was over 100,000 barrels of oil per day more than in February, 2012. It was 300,000 barrels of oil per day more than in March …
ETH-Zurich researchers have developed an economic, fast and reproducible method for printing tiny structures in a way similar to printing art by an ink-jet printer. Now they are planning a spin-off. Using a new nanodroplet printing method, tiny structures can be applied to different surfaces in a quick and reproducible manner. It is fast because …
Rand Simberg explains – What is the significance of this successful Spacex flight? 1. Spacex has both a launch system and a capsule that is capable of performing the missions assigned to it. 2. Spacex can now start to fulfill its Cargo Resupply Services (CRS) contract, which helped fund the spacecraft’s development. (About 12 flights …
Larry’s 20-minute talk presents some insights into the Google worldview, both in terms of where the company invests its energy and how it is shaping the future. But his real message extended beyond Google’s accomplishments and aimed squarely at encouraging people to make bold dreams that take advantage of the amazing opportunities modern technology provides …
There was a Statistical Analysis of Life Expectancy across Countries that explained 87.7% of the differences in Life Expectancy. (from the year 2000) Life Expectancy at Birth = 62.9 years + (0.0001095 * GNP per Capita) + (1.4555274 * Annual Population Growth) + (-3.623246 * Fertility Rate) + (-0.066892 * AIDS) + (-0.016498 * Tuberculosis) …
Samson Motorworks is still developing the Switchblade three wheeled flying motorcycle * The current schedule, kit deliveries should begin first quarter 2013. * Target price of the kit is $60k without engine or avionics, resulting in an overall targeted price of approximately $85k. Much of this will be determined by the actual price of the …
Significance journal – How Usain Bolt can run faster – effortlessly Usain Bolt holds the current 100m world record, at 9.58s, and has been described as the best sprinter there has ever been, dramatically reducing his running times since he first won the world record in 2008. Bolt ran 9.58 seconds for the 100 meters …
1. How to build a space telescope for 1% of the cost: Fabrication of large space optics that are accurately shaped to better than a 1000th of the width of a human hair is an enormous challenge. Traditional space telescope fabrication methods require rigid and therefore heavy mirrors, expensive spacecraft and massive rocket launch vehicles. …
LA Times – Imagine a car that gets more than 40 miles per gallon in everyday traffic and 50 on the highway — and it isn’t an expensive hybrid and it doesn’t require special fuel. Get ready for a new generation of cars equipped with surprisingly powerful three-cylinder engines that, according to early reviews out …