Topps in 3-D Technology
Tuesday, March 10th, 2009Check this out!
Topp’s has launched a line of collector’s baseball cards that work with your webcam to bring players to life. The action unfolds right on your desktop!
The cards, called Topps 3-D Live, are built with technology created by augmented reality company Total Immersion. The images are not holograms. They are actually a digital overlay on the video [...]
What’s in a Name?
Wednesday, February 4th, 2009My husband and I have often observed that many first names that were popular in our childhood have become extemely rare in our children’s generation. Where are all the Karens, Steves, Glens and Cheryls? Gone are the Suzies, Donnas, Garys and Robs.
When we lived in Texas a few years back, “alternative” spellings were all the rage. My personal favorite [...]
Happy Birthday Darwin!
Monday, February 2nd, 2009February 12th marks the 200th anniversary of evolutionary biologist Charles Darwin’s birthday.
The National Geographic Channel is not letting the occasion pass without airing what promises to be some fascinating programs featuring intriguing looks at various aspects of evolutionary science. I am hoping to get a sneak peek at some of these prior to their initial air dates and will review [...]
A/C for your brain
Wednesday, January 14th, 2009There is still so much that science does not understand about human physiology and behavior.
Up until a new study was released last month, it was still undetermined what purpose yawning served. Now it seems that based on controlled observations of Australian Parakeets (they have relatively large brains), it has been theorized that the function of yawning seems to [...]
Bird Eating Spider
Friday, October 24th, 2008This October 23rd news story from the Cairns Post confirms that there are indeed some hairy, scary and HUGE Australian spiders!
This amazing image of a mammoth spider devouring a bird was taken in the backyard of a property near Cairns.
The image, which is being cirulated via email worldwide, is real, according to wildlife experts, The Cairns Post [...]
The “Shoppie Awards”
Saturday, May 10th, 2008Our email in-boxes have all been touched by them. Some are so blatently faked that we must wonder at the gullability of the ones who earnestly forwarded them to us as genuine. Sporting subject titles such as “Really Amazing Pictures” and “Winner of the National Geographic Picture of the Year Award”, these images have long circulated in cyberspace [...]
BigDog
Thursday, May 1st, 2008
He might not have Rosie the Robot’s charm and personality, but Boston Dynamics’ “packbot” BigDog is billed as the most advanced quadruped robot on earth.
BigDog is powered by a gasoline engine that drives a hydraulic actuation system. His legs are articulated like an animal’s, and have compliant elements that absorb shock and recycle energy from [...]
Dubai is Tomorrowland!
Monday, April 28th, 2008I believe that if Walt Disney had lived to see the amazing land development projects currently taking form in Dubai, he would have declared that his vision of tomorrowland had come to pass.
Take a look at some of these concept drawings of actual buildings and projects. Some have already been completed. Others are still in [...]
Shake Rattle & Roll
Monday, April 21st, 2008In the predawn hours of this last Friday Morning (4/18/08) I awoke in confusion. At first I thought I had overloaded the washing machine and imagined that the unbalanced spin cycle was causing the house to vibrate. As I began to shake off sleep I remembered that I hadn’t turned on the washing machine - [...]
Fuel Cells - The Basics
Sunday, April 20th, 2008I’m getting rather tired of saying it but the price of oil has again reached a new record high. This week’s “Science Word of the Week” looks at another up-and-coming alternative fuel source; Fuel Cells.
What is a Fuel Cell?
Fuel cells are devices that produce electrical power by converting chemical energy directly to electrical current rather [...]
