Science Museum preserves Shipping Gallery as virtual exhibit

At least one writer at Gizmag was saddened when the Science Museum in London removed its famous Shipping Gallery. Closed in May 2012, the venue of many a childhood rainy Sunday will be replaced by the new Information Age exhibit, which opens in September 2014. However, though the Shipping Gallery is gone, it’s also, paradoxically, still with us. That’s because the Science Museum, with the help of the University College London and ScanLAB, has created a virtual version of the gallery to make the exhibit available to future generations... Continue Reading Science Museum preserves Shipping Gallery as virtual exhibit

Section: Science

Tags: 3D, British Museum, Exhibition, Interactive, London, Shipping, University College London, Virtual

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NASA scales up 3D-printed rocket component testing

NASA has shown a keen interest in 3D printed rocket components lately with a series of tests that have had considerable success, with printed parts in test firings working as well as those made by conventional methods. In the latest test firing on August 22, the largest 3-D printed rocket engine component yet tested by NASA withstood ten times the thrust previously generated by an engine using printed components... Continue Reading NASA scales up 3D-printed rocket component testing

Section: Space

Tags: 3D Printing, NASA, Rocket, Space Launch System, Test

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Curiosity goes autonomous for the first time

NASA took the metaphorical training wheels off the Mars rover Curiosity on Tuesday, as the unmanned explorer took its first drive using autonomous navigation. It used its onboard cameras and software to select and drive over an area of ground that mission control at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California couldn't see and vet beforehand. This capability allows the nuclear-powered rover to negotiate the most direct route to Mount Sharp rather than having to detour to find routes that can be seen directly by Curiosity before entering, so they can be analyzed by mission control. .. Continue Reading Curiosity goes autonomous for the first time

Section: Space

Tags: Astronomy, Autonomous, Curiosity Rover, Mars, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Mars Science Laboratory, NASA

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Kisai Blade watch tells time with an aviation-inspired light show

Some Tokyoflash watches may be almost as impossible to read as they are fun, but they can’t be faulted in the eye-catching department. The latest watch in the Tokyoflash stable, the Kisai Blade, is notable not only for its take on aviation and automotive themes, but also by going against the house trend by being (almost) easy to read by the uninitiated... Continue Reading Kisai Blade watch tells time with an aviation-inspired light show

Section: Wearable Electronics

Tags: LED, Tokyo Flash, Watches

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Pavlov Poke presents a shocking answer to Facebook addiction

Sometimes Facebook can be a bit like a timewarp. You open it to take a quick peek and before you know it, the better part of the day is gone by. MIT PhD students Robert R. Morris and Dan McDuff decided that they’d like to spend less time with social media and more writing their dissertations, so they came up with Pavlov Poke. As the name implies, it’s a sort of aversion therapy device for weaning off of Facebook that gives you electric shocks if you've lingered to long. .. Continue Reading Pavlov Poke presents a shocking answer to Facebook addiction

Section: Computers

Tags: Addiction, DIY, Facebook, MIT

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Boeing rolls out first Dreamliner 787-9

Boeing has rolled out the first 787-9 Dreamliner variant at its Everett, Washington assembly plant. The second of three variants of the Dreamliner, the 787-9 carries more passengers and has a greater range than the 787-8 that has been in operation since 2011. The first 787-9 off the line is scheduled to be delivered to Qantas Airlines next year... Continue Reading Boeing rolls out first Dreamliner 787-9

Section: Aircraft

Tags: 787, Airlines, Boeing, Lithium-ion

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Ford studies space robots to improve car safety

Ford has turned to space robots in an effort to make driving safer and more efficient. The motor car company has embarked on a three-year research partnership with the telematics department of St. Petersburg Polytechnic University in Russia to study communications systems for space robots as a way of improving technology currently under development to produce cars able to communicate directly with one another and with the internet... Continue Reading Ford studies space robots to improve car safety

Section: Automotive

Tags: Automotive, Ford, Robotic, Robots, Safety

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Vauxhall Monza Concept to feature LED projection infotainment system

When we last looked at the Vauxhall Monza Concept, Vauxhall/Opel CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann hinted at an innovative infotainment technology and new body design. Now the lid has been lifted a bit, and we can see more of the new take on the 70s classic. When the concept is presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month, it will not only have a modular powertrain, but the first LED projection infotainment system fitted in a passenger car. .. Continue Reading Vauxhall Monza Concept to feature LED projection infotainment system

Section: Automotive

Tags: Concept Cars, Frankfurt Motor Show, Infotainment system, Opel, Vauxhall

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NASA brings WISE probe out of retirement to hunt asteroids

NASA will be putting another eye on potentially dangerous asteroids in September when it reactivates the retired Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). The space telescope, which was deactivated in 2011, will use its infrared instruments to carry out a survey of near-Earth asteroids that may pose a threat to our planet... Continue Reading NASA brings WISE probe out of retirement to hunt asteroids

Section: Space

Tags: Asteroid, Infrared, NASA, Space telescope, WISE

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NASA visualizes asteroid capture plan

NASA has released new concept images and animations outlining one version of its plan to capture an asteroid with an unmanned craft and return it to lunar orbit for astronauts to study. The plan is part of an initiative by President Barack Obama for a US manned asteroid mission as outlined in his 2014 NASA budget request. The agency’s main objective at the moment is to come up with alternative approaches and evaluate them... Continue Reading NASA visualizes asteroid capture plan

Section: Space

Tags: Animation, Asteroid, NASA, Orion Spacecraft, Space Launch System, Spacecraft

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ESA fires surface penetrators at ice target in search of planetary burrowers

Normally, a spacecraft slamming into a planet’s surface at the speed of sound is considered a bad thing, but the European Space Agency (ESA) plans to do just that. As part of its Core Technology Programme for Cosmic Vision, the agency fired a pair of experimental surface penetrators from a rocket sled at a test facility at the UK Military of Defence Pendine site in Wales last July. The goal is to find ways of delivering instruments beneath the ground or ice of alien worlds without drilling... Continue Reading ESA fires surface penetrators at ice target in search of planetary burrowers

Section: Space

Tags: Astrium, ESA, Experimental, QinetiQ, Spacecraft

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World's most powerful astronomical camera homes in on Andromeda

When taking snapshots, a good telephoto lens can be handy, but when your subject is 2.5 million light years away, it’s invaluable. To show off the capabilities of the new Hyper-Suprime Cam (HSC) located on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, an international team of astrophysicists has released high resolution images of the Andromeda galaxy that not only show off incredible detail, but may help shed light on the evolution of the Universe and the distribution of dark matter... Continue Reading World's most powerful astronomical camera homes in on Andromeda

Section: Space

Tags: Andromeda Galaxy, Cameras, Dark Matter, NAOJ, Princeton, Telescope, Tokyo University, Universe

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MIT finds exoplanet with an 8.5-hour year

Sometimes it seems as if the year just flies by. On planet Kepler 78b, it does exactly that. According to a team of scientists at MIT, the extrasolar world is so close to its sun that its year is only 8.5 hours long. That means that not only could a person go through almost three birthdays in one day, but that the surface temperature would be like taking up residence in a blast furnace... Continue Reading MIT finds exoplanet with an 8.5-hour year

Section: Space

Tags: Exoplanet, Kepler Mission, MIT, NASA, Planet

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The Charming Bird watch is an automaton for your wrist

The Swiss watchmaking firm Jaquet Droz has short-circuited the 18th and 21st centuries with the Charming Bird. It's a wristwatch that includes a tiny automaton bird inside the crystal, that sings and dances at the press of a button. .. Continue Reading The Charming Bird watch is an automaton for your wrist

Section: Wearable Electronics

Tags: Anniversary, Miniature, Watches

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Amazon updates Seattle headquarters design

Architects have revised the design of the biodomes for Amazon's new Seattle headquarters. The curves of old have been replaced with irregular pentagons, resulting in something that looks less futuristic and more like a mating of a football and a robot plankton from outer space... Continue Reading Amazon updates Seattle headquarters design

Section: Architecture

Tags: Amazon, Dome, Office

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Scientists claim that Voyager 1 left the Solar System last year

Sometimes it seems as though the Voyager 1 space probe is like a dog that can’t decide if it wants to be inside or out. A team of scientists led by the University of Maryland claim that the Voyager 1 space probe, which is now 11 billion miles (18 billion km) from Earth left the Solar System’s boundary last year and is not, as NASA claims, passing through a transition zone. The controversial theory is based on models of the solar magnetic field on the edge of the system and how it interacts with interstellar space... Continue Reading Scientists claim that Voyager 1 left the Solar System last year

Section: Space

Tags: NASA, Solar System, Spacecraft, University of Maryland, Voyager

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RINGS propels satellites without propellants

Astronauts on the International Space Station are testing a new propulsion system ... inside the station. While this might seem like the height of recklessness, this particular system doesn't use rockets or propellants. Developed in the University of Maryland's Space Power and Propulsion Laboratory, this new electromagnetic propulsion technology called the Resonant Inductive Near-field Generation System (RINGS) uses magnetic fields to move spacecraft as a way to increase service life and make satellite formation flying more practical... Continue Reading RINGS propels satellites without propellants

Section: Space

Tags: International Space Station, MIT, NASA, Satellite, Spacecraft, University of Maryland

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Report examines feasibility of nuclear-powered submarines for Australia

A green paper published by University College London (UCL) argues that it is entirely feasible for Australia to replace its aging fleet of diesel submarines with nuclear-powered craft. .. Continue Reading Report examines feasibility of nuclear-powered submarines for Australia

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Tags: Australia, Nuclear, Royal Australian Navy, Submarine

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Boeing solid-state laser weapon system outshines expectations

The likelihood of lasers appearing on the battlefield was boosted last week when Boeing announced that its Thin Disk Laser system had achieved unexpected levels of power and efficiency. In a recent demonstration for the US Department of Defense, the laser’s output was 30 percent higher than project requirements and had greater beam quality, a result which paves the way toward a practical tactical laser weapon... Continue Reading Boeing solid-state laser weapon system outshines expectations

Section: Military

Tags: Boeing, Laser, Laser weapon

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Terrafugia Transition flying car makes first public flights

There was a ray of hope recently for those who are looking forward to a car that’s a bit more Blade Runnery as Terrafugia's Transition flying car made its first public flights at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. There, the Terrafugia team conducted two 20-minute flight demonstrations and also showed off the capability for the Transition's wings to be folded up so it can be driven about like a car... Continue Reading Terrafugia Transition flying car makes first public flights

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Tags: Aircraft, Aviation, Flight, Flying, Flying Cars, Oshkosh, Terrafugia

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NASA abandons Kepler repairs, looks to the future

If NASA has anything to say about it, Kepler is down, but not out. At a press teleconference on Thursday it announced that it has abandoned efforts to repair the damaged unmanned probe, which was designed to search for extrasolar planets and is no longer steady enough to continue its hunt. But the space agency is looking into alternative missions for the spacecraft based on its remaining capabilities... Continue Reading NASA abandons Kepler repairs, looks to the future

Section: Space

Tags: Exoplanet, Kepler Mission, NASA, Spacecraft

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Bioengineered mouse heart gets a beat using human cells

Heart transplants have given new life to thousands, but are only an unfulfilled hope to thousands more due to a shortage of donor organs. With the goal of meeting this shortfall, scientists at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have bioengineered a mouse heart in the lab that beats on its own. The mouse heart had its cells replaced with human cells, offering the potential of growing custom replacement hearts that wouldn't be rejected by the recipient... Continue Reading Bioengineered mouse heart gets a beat using human cells

Section: Health and Wellbeing

Tags: Mouse, University of Pittsburgh

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Game helps scientists fight ash disease

Playing video games and feeling virtuous may seem almost like a contradiction in terms, but the Sainsbury Laboratory in Norwich, UK has turned gaming into a way to advance science and help protect the environment. The Fraxinus game is a Facebook app that uses player participation to figure out the structure of a fungus genome, as part of a crowdsourcing effort to combat a disease that threatens Britain and Europe’s ash trees... Continue Reading Game helps scientists fight ash disease

Section: Environment

Tags: Disease, Facebook, Fungus, Games, Genome, Tree

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Jupiter bound: Juno probe passes halfway mark

NASA announced on Monday that its Juno space probe has reached the halfway mark on its voyage to Jupiter after covering a distance of 879 million miles. This seems odd when you consider that Juno will pass just 347 miles (559 km) from Earth in October. Why both of these facts are true is due to the complex orbit that Juno is following in order to reach its destination... Continue Reading Jupiter bound: Juno probe passes halfway mark

Section: Space

Tags: Astronomy, Earth, Juno, Jupiter, NASA

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LG brings back the television dial

If you’re old enough to remember rabbit ears, you've probably told your kids how hard you had it because your old television had dials. Now LG Electronics is bringing back a whiff of those ancient days with its distinctly retro Classic TV (Model 32LN630R). The South Korean electronics firm didn't just swap out the ubiquitous black case for creamy white, the company also added real channel and volume knobs to appeal to those more interested in classic Scandinavian style rather than bleeding-edge design... Continue Reading LG brings back the television dial

Section: Around The Home

Tags: LED, LG, Retro, Television, TV

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Holho turns your tablet or smartphone into a 3D projector

Owning a smartphone is a bit like being a kid who got too many toys for his birthday. No matter how many apps you have, you still want it to do something more. Imagination Farm USA LLC, based in Houston, Texas, decided that the something more was the Holho “hologram generator,” which uses a set of mirrors perched on a smartphone or tablet to produce the illusion of a moving 3D image... Continue Reading Holho turns your tablet or smartphone into a 3D projector

Section: Mobile Technology

Tags: 3D, Display, Kickstarter, Projectors, Smartphones, Tablet

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NASA maps Earth-killer asteroids in one image

There’s something comforting about a map with “You are here” marked on it, but not when the arrow points to a spot where giant asteroids are whizzing by like cannon balls in a pirate movie. NASA has released a map of the inner Solar System showing the orbits of the 1,400 Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHA) known as of early this year. According to the agency, the plots show the orbits of asteroids over 460 ft (140 m) in diameter and cross within 4.7 million miles (7.5 million km) of Earth... Continue Reading NASA maps Earth-killer asteroids in one image

Section: Space

Tags: Asteroid, Maps, NASA, Solar System

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Royal Navy deployed laser weapons during the Falklands War

Despite recent demonstrations by the US Navy, we still think of laser weapons as being things of the future. However, previously-classified British documents prove that not only were the major powers working on laser weapons in the 1970s and 80s, but that they were already being deployed with combat units in war zones. A letter from the Ministry of Defence released under the 30-year rule reveals that laser weapons were deployed on Royal Navy ships during the Falklands War in 1982, and that the British government was concerned about similar weapons being developed behind the Iron Curtain. .. Continue Reading Royal Navy deployed laser weapons during the Falklands War

Section: Military

Tags: History, Laser weapon, Royal Navy

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Office of Naval Research uses UAVs to study radio propagation

Radio has come a long way since Marconi bashed a telegraph key and radar is a miracle compared to when it was just a squiggle on a cathode tube, but despite a century of advances, they’re still prone to the same problems as the first pioneers encountered. For five days in July, the Office of Naval Research’s (ONR) Research Vessel (R/V) Knorr made a survey in the waters off Virginia Beach, Virginia using ScanEagle UAVs to study the effect of oceanic and atmospheric changes on radar and radio waves with the aim of producing more secure military communications and improve the ability of radar to detect hostile craft... Continue Reading Office of Naval Research uses UAVs to study radio propagation

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Tags: Communications, Marine, Radar, Radio, Research

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Coravin 1000 lets you have a glass of wine without popping the cork

Remember the time you had a glass of your US$1,300 bottle of Chateau Latour Pauillac 2005, only to find that it had gone vinegary in the fridge when you went back for another a week later? We've all been there. Coravin, LLC of Burlington, Massachusetts makes having a glass from the dustier end of the wine rack a bit less expensive with its Coravin 1000 Wine Access System, which allows you to pour a glass out of a bottle without having to finish the lot, watching it go off, or even removing the cork... Continue Reading Coravin 1000 lets you have a glass of wine without popping the cork

Section: Around The Home

Tags: Alcohol, Bottle, Drinking, Wine

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FAA clears drones for civilian use

Despite being constantly in the news, UAVs haven’t been seen much in the skies of the US except in military training areas or by law enforcement agencies. That’s beginning to change, as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that is has issued operating permits for a pair of civilian unmanned aircraft to a company based in Alaska. The two unmanned aircraft are the AeroVironment Puma, which is a hand-launched, battery powered UAV that uses an electro-optical and infrared video camera for surveillance, and the other is the Boeing Insitu ScanEagle; a small, long-endurance craft based on a fish-spotting design. .. Continue Reading FAA clears drones for civilian use

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Tags: Drone, FAA, Surveillance, UAV

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Top 10 milestones of Curiosity's first year on Mars

Today, NASA paid tribute to its Curiosity rover, which has completed its first year exploring the planet Mars. On August 6, 2012 (August 5, PDT), the unmanned explorer landed on the Red Planet as the start of a two-year mission to seek out areas where life might have once, or could still exist. To commemorate this event, the space agency broadcast reminiscences by Curiosity team members from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. What follows is our own look at the top 10 milestones of Curiosity’s first year. .. Continue Reading Top 10 milestones of Curiosity's first year on Mars

Section: Space

Tags: Curiosity Rover, Mars, Mars Science Laboratory, NASA, Spacecraft

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First public tasting of US$330,000 lab-grown burger

If Professor Mark Post of Maastricht University ever opens a burger bar, you might want to take a close look at the prices before you order. On Monday, at a press conference in London, a burger made by Post and his team was served that cost a cool €250,000 (about US$330,000). The reason? The beef that went into making it never saw a pasture and the people in the white coats who handed it to the chef weren't butchers, but bioengineers. .. Continue Reading First public tasting of US$330,000 lab-grown burger

Section: Science

Tags: Environment, Food, Maastricht University, Muscle, Stem Cells

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Scientists developing Bluetooth tooth that spies on your oral habits

Tooth fillings acting as radio receivers may be nothing more than a myth, but scientists at the National Taiwan University are developing an artificial tooth that would send rather than receive transmissions. They’re working on embedding a sensor in a tooth to keep an eye on oral goings on, along with a Bluetooth transmitter to transmit the data and tell your doctor what your mouth's been up to... Continue Reading Scientists developing Bluetooth tooth that spies on your oral habits

Section: Health and Wellbeing

Tags: Bluetooth, Dental, Health, Monitoring, Prototype, Sensors, Teeth

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World's largest tunneling machine digs in

Bertha, the world’s largest tunnel boring machine (TBM), started digging under Seattle on Tuesday as it chewed through the north wall of the 80-ft (24.3 m) deep trench where it was assembled after being shipped in pieces from its manufacturer in Japan. Designed to bore a 1.7 mi (2.7 km) tunnel for State Route 99 (SR 99) under the Seattle city center to replace the old viaduct, the machine will both dig out soil and lay a concrete tunnel wall as it goes. .. Continue Reading World's largest tunneling machine digs in

Section: Architecture

Tags: Construction, Transport, World's Largest

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Reptile friendly tunnel improves road safety for the cold blooded
Mercedes-Benz F-CELL Roadster takes a trip back in time
Cat Tunnel Sofa features a built-in playground for your cat
Giant plug for sealing off subway tunnels in a hurry
America’s only 180mph rolling-road wind tunnel