tingilinde

now this is astounding

but really, should I be surprised?

ex-RIAA shill Hilary Rosen is now running damage control at BP.

Proof that reality is stranger than what the Onion can dream up...

on the popularization of science

Recently a Fermilab experiment announced a really interesting CP violation result.  Somehow the media announced it as explaining the matter/anti-matter asymmetry in the universe, when that was overblown.

Sean has an nice post pointing out why it was overblown and hoping people will be more accurate.  The problem is getting the science right in a form that is understandable and interesting to the layperson is a very difficult challenge.   I tend to agree with Sean though ...

blimp + rainbow trout

The Airfish  

Similar tailwagging blimps have been made, but the motor used here is novel.  I can't imagine it outdoors in anything more than a light breeze.

a visually compelling reason to cut your oil use

so sad

thanks for the link Jim

a very low emissions "porsche"

for very serious cooks

The French Culinary Institute's tech blog...  

One of the pointers from their discussion board turns out this  -- the guy is looking to offer a $200 sous vide heating immersion circulator ...  I'll stick with simple stuff, I'm afraid..

a different sort of up

Jheri and David both have pointed out Adi Marom's student project SHORT++ (NYU's ITP)  Check out the link for videos of the prototype in action rather than the cartoon shown here.  I can't say I recommend her choice in music in the videos and the concept needs some engineering and design work, but the idea is very cute.

Anyone want to pitch in with good mechanical engineering ideas to move from industrial scissor jacks to something that would fit into a shoe?   With some constraints this would make a neat junior level mechanical engineer project - say keep each "sole" under 0.5 kg and make it support 75 kg.  Grade them on range and stability.

This is more on the access side of colleenification ...  what Colleen needs is a controllable portable hole of the sort the Acme Company  sold to coyotes.

There's a new UP for that !! from Adi Marom on Vimeo.

nifty human-electric hybrid

Jessica notes this neat human-electric hybrid prototype from Onya.  Saul Griffith is involved so I'm guessing it is good.  It looks like they not ready for production, but the idea is sound.

I don't think human-electric hybrids, at the current state of battery development, are going to do very well in the US.  People who are attracted to bikes will get pure bikes.  The folks who might need a bit of help simply aren't interested given the infrastructure challenges in most parts of the country to plunk down about $2500 for an ebike.

Cargo bikes are a different mater.  It doesn't take much of a hill to make a small motor very practical.   The next big gasoline price spice, if protracted, may light a fire under this segment.

There are a surprising number of cargo bikes available ranging from robustified normal bikes to very serious and large haulers.  Browse through a few entires here for an idea...

the night sky rotating around a volcano

very very beautiful

new cheating in bike racing?

Somehow that doesn't seem like news.  Bike racing has an image problem.  I'm much more interested in bikes as simple commuting tools, but some of the new technologies are interesting, even if they seem to expensive and useless for the average bike rider.

But now people are talking about small hidden electric motors in racing bikes.   Oddly I wrote about the potential for abuse about seven years ago.  This isn't a surprising development.